Chemiluminescent Method for the Evaluation of Antioxidant Activity Using Lipid Hydroperoxide-Luminol

Abstract

A simple and sensitive method to evaluate the antioxidant activity using a chemiluminescence system was newly devised. Chemiluminescence, generated from the reaction of a luminescent reagent with lipid hydroperoxides, was detected using a chemiluminescence analyzer. Added antioxidants inhibited the progress of the reaction and decreased the chemiluminescence intensity. Effectivity of antioxidants which could be estimated from the inhibition of chemiluminescence indicated a good agreement with that estimated by the thiocyanate method, except for α-tocopherol. This method was improved for the screening of 236 species of edible and medicinal plants for antioxidant activity.