Radical-scavenging activity of natural methoxyphenols vs. synthetic ones using the induction period method.

The radical-scavenging activities of the synthetic antioxidants 2-allyl-4-X-phenol (X = NO2, Cl, Br, OCH3, COCH3, CH3, t-(CH3)3, C6H5) and 2,4-dimethoxyphenol, and the natural antioxidants eugenol and isoeugenol, were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) by measuring their anti-1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical activity and the induction period for polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) initiated by thermal decomposition of 2,2'-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) and benzoyl peroxide (BPO). 2-Allyl-4-methoxyphenol and 2,4-dimethoxy-phenol scavenged not only oxygen-centered radicals (PhCOO*) derived from BPO, but also carbon-centered radicals (R*) derived from the AIBN and DPPH radical much more efficiently, in comparison with eugenol and isoeugenol. 2-Allyl-4-methoxyphenol may be useful for its lower prooxidative activity.