Potentiometric study of antioxidant activity: development and prospects.

The increasing interest in the study of the antioxidant activity of different objects is caused by an unbalance between the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the performance of the antioxidant system in humans under certain conditions, which leads to oxidative stress and pathological states of the organism. This article presents a brief critical review of the methods that are used to measure integrated antioxidant activity (AOA). It is shown that the most promising methods for measuring AOA are electrochemical ones, particularly potentiometry, as it best fits the nature of the processes causing oxidative stress. The article gives the theoretical rational for requirements that an oxidizer of antioxidants (AO) should meet. The work presents the thermodynamic grounds for the use of an earlier proposed mediator system, kinetics of chemical reactions between AO and the mediator system. In order to confirm reliability and accuracy of the results, numerous correlation studies were conducted, aiming to compare the data obtained with the use the proposed method and independent analytical methods. The article presents the results of the potentiometric study of AOA for a variety of objects, including individual antioxidant → nutritional supplements → food → blood and blood fractions.

Potentiometry as a method of antioxidant activity investigation.

Problems of terminology applied for antioxidant properties of substances are being discussed. Selection of the term 'Antioxidant Activity' is being proved. New method of the determination of this index is offered, where electrode potential shift as a result of redox chemical reaction between substance to be determined and oxidized form of mediator system serves as a source of information. Good correlation is fixed between data obtained by potentiometric method and known chemiluminescent, Randox methods, and photometric method with the use of stable radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrasyl. Accuracy and reliability of the results, simplicity of the analysis procedure and its self-descriptiveness make the method offered to become good alternative to the known methods of antioxidant activity determination.

Bi-enzyme sensor based on thick-film carbon electrode modified with electropolymerized tyramine.

Bi-enzyme sensor based on thick-film epoxy-carbon electrode modified with polytyramine has been developed and examined for the determination of peroxidase substrates and cholinesterase inhibitors. Polytyramine was obtained on the electrode surface by repeated scanning of the potential from +600 to +1800 mV vs. Ag/AgCl in tyramine solution. The enzymes were immobilized in the polytyramine matrix by cross-linking with glutaraldehyde. The biosensor developed provides a reliable and inexpensive way for preliminary testing of common environmental pollutants with a single sensor in accordance with assumed toxic effect by the choice of appropriate substrate and measurement conditions. The bi-enzyme sensor makes it possible to determine substituted phenols and aromatic amines in the micromolar range of their concentrations and anticholinesterase pesticides with detection limits of 0.1 (Coumaphos) and 0.03 micromol l(-1) (Chloropyrifos-methyl).