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Antioxidant mechanisms of Quercetin and Myricetin in the gas phase and in solution – a comparison and validation of semi-empirical methods

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Abstract

Flavonoids have long been recognized for their general health-promoting properties, of which their antioxidant activity may play an important role. In this work we have studied the properties of two flavonols, quercetin and myricetin, using semi-empirical methods in order to validate the application of the recent Parametric Model 6 and to understand the fundamental difference between the two molecules. Their geometries have been optimized and important molecular properties have been calculated. The energetic of the possible antioxidant mechanisms have also been analyzed. The two studied flavonols do not differ significantly in their molecular properties, but the antioxidant mechanisms by which they may act in solution can be rather different. Moreover, we also show that the Parametric Model 6 can produce reliable information for this type of compounds.

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Acknowledgments

G. C. J. would like to acknowledge a post-doctoral grant from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (SFRH/BPD/2006/27563). The authors would also like to thank Dr. Marta Corvo and one of the reviewers for very significant discussions.

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  1. Requimte/CQFB – Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516, Caparica, Portugal

    Gonçalo C. Justino & Abel J. S. C. Vieira

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  1. Gonçalo C. Justino
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  2. Abel J. S. C. Vieira
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Correspondence to Gonçalo C. Justino.

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Justino, G.C., Vieira, A.J.S.C. Antioxidant mechanisms of Quercetin and Myricetin in the gas phase and in solution – a comparison and validation of semi-empirical methods. J Mol Model 16, 863–876 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00894-009-0583-1

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