Many reports indicate the benefits of antioxidants for prevention of a variety of human diseases. Surprisingly, there are as many reports that express concerns over their use as preventative therapeutics. Naturally occurring antioxidants like vitamins C and E and polyphenols such as quercetin are able to neutralize harmful free radicals and prevent cellular damage.  However, they also generate large amounts of harmful free radicals in the presence of transition metal ions such as iron and copper, resulting in cellular damage.  We have utilized a nanotechnology approach to separate the antioxidant property from pro-oxidant effects by designing and synthesizing antioxidants with a dendritic architecture. These macromolecular antioxidants displayed far superior free radical scavenging than the naturally occurring antioxidants. Most importantly, they do not show pro-oxidant activities in the presence of physiological amounts of transition metals. In this presentation, we will report their syntheses, characterization and protective effects on human low-density lipoproteins and DNA.

Dendritic architecture used to separate antioxidant activity from pro-oxidant effects

248th National Meeting (2014)

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