Phenols are the most abundant compounds in nature. They are strong antioxidants. Too high level of free radicals leads to cell and tissue damage, which may cause asthma, Alzheimer disease, cancers, etc. Taking phenolics with the diet as supplements or natural medicines is important for homeostasis of the organism. The ten most popular water soluble phenols were chosen for the experiment to investigate their antioxidant properties using ABTS radical scavenging capacity assay and ferric reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP) assay. Antioxidant properties of selected phenols in the ABTS test expressed as IC50 ranged from 4.332 μM to 852.713 μM (for gallic acid and 4- hydroxyphenylacetic acid respectively). Antioxidant properties in the FRAP test are expressed as μmol Fe2+/ml. All examined phenols reduced ferric ions at concentration 1.00 x 10-3 mg/ml. Both methods are very useful for determination of antioxidant capacity of water soluble phenols.

The aim of this study was to assess the photostability of quercetin in the presence of anionic and nonionic polymeric gels with varied compositions of an added component—glycerol. The samples were irradiated continuously at constant temperature. The stability of quercetin in solution and incorporated into the gels was evaluated by an UV-Vis spectrophotometer. FTIR spectroscopy (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy) was used to detect the changes in the structure of quercetin depending on the polymer used in the gel, and on the exposure time. Photostabilization is an important aspect of quality assurance in photosensitive compounds. The decomposition rate of quercetin in the ionic preparation of polyacrylic acid (PAA) with glycerol was 1.952·10⁻³ min⁻¹, whereas the absence of glycerol resulted in a decay rate of 5.032·10⁻⁴ min⁻¹. The formulation containing non-ionic methylcellulose resulted in a decomposition rate of quercetin in the range of 1.679·10⁻³ min⁻¹. The decay rate of quercetin under light influence depended on the composition of the gel. It was found that the cross-linked PAA stabilized quercetin and the addition of glycerol accelerated the photodegradation.

The aim of the work was the evaluation of selected biological and physicochemical, applicative properties of ethylated ascorbic acid (AAE) compared to ascorbic acid (AA). Thermogravimetry (TG), differential thermogravimetry (DTG), and differential thermal analysis (DTA) were conducted, followed by the evaluation of AAE decomposition by the UV-Vis spectroscopic method including the influence of temperature and pH. Scavenging, antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity against L929 fibroblasts were also performed. The difference in mass loss between AA and AAE was 30% via TG. DTA revealed characteristic exothermic and endothermic effects. The AAE solution was more thermally stable than AA. The calculated zero-order rate constants of free-radical scavenging kinetics for AAE were in the range of 4.9×10(-3)-1.35×10(-2) s(-1). The activation energy for the process was 11,2281 kJ/mol. AAE was active against Staphylococcus (S.) aureus and Enterococcus (E.) faecalis and acted stronger against Candida (C.) albicans than AA. The concentrations of AA ≥2.5% were cytotoxic, whereas in the case of AAE, a 10% concentration was considered cytotoxic. DTG enables the detailed differentiation between AA and AAE. AAE in aqueous solution is more stable compared to AA. The antioxidant activity of AAE is significant. However, the reaction with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) indicates prolonged activity compared to AA. Variability in the antimicrobial activity of AAE may find practical application in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. The potential for applicative aims may be supported by the relatively low in vitro toxicity of AAE.