Antioxidant activity of ubiquinol in solution and phosphatidylcholine liposome

J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 1990 Oct;36(5):505-11. doi: 10.3177/jnsv.36.505.

Abstract

The antioxidant activities of ubiquinol and ubiquinone were measured in the free radical-mediated oxidations of methyl linoleate in solution and phosphatidylcholine liposomes in aqueous dispersion. Ubiquinol-10 suppressed the oxidation of methyl linoleate in hexane, although its reactivity toward peroxyl radical was about 10 times less than that of alpha-tocopherol. Ubiquinone-10, on the contrary, did not show any antioxidant activity. On the other hand, ubiquinol-10 inhibited the oxidation of phosphatidylcholine liposomal membranes as efficiently as alpha-tocopherol. When both ubiquinol-10 and alpha-tocopherol were present, ubiquinol-10 decreased first and alpha-tocopherol decreased after all ubiquinol-10 was consumed in both solution and liposomes. These results and electron spin resonance (ESR) study suggest that ubiquinol-10 regenerates alpha-tocopherol by reducing alpha-tocopheroxyl radical.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antioxidants*
  • Free Radicals
  • Linoleic Acids / metabolism
  • Lipid Peroxidation
  • Liposomes / metabolism*
  • Phosphatidylcholines / metabolism*
  • Solutions
  • Ubiquinone / metabolism*
  • Vitamin E / metabolism

Substances

  • Antioxidants
  • Free Radicals
  • Linoleic Acids
  • Liposomes
  • Phosphatidylcholines
  • Solutions
  • Ubiquinone
  • Vitamin E
  • methyl linoleate
  • ubiquinol-10