Lipid Peroxidation and the Antioxidant Effects of 3,5,7,4’-Tetrahydroxy-2’-Methoxyflavone; Direct Observation by Atomic Force Microscopy

Abstract

Lipid peroxidation and the antioxidant effects of 3,5,7,4’-tetrahydroxy-2’-methoxyflavone (THMF), isolated from the bark of Anaxagorea luzonensis A. GRAY, were observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The Langmuir-Blodgett film of 1-palmitoyl-2-linoleoyl-3-phosphatidylcholine (PLPC) was used for AFM. The antioxidant potency of THMF was compared with that of α-tocopherol as the positive control. The AFM images clearly indicated that THMF effectively inhibited lipid peroxidation and that the antioxidant effect of THMF was more potent than that of α-tocopherol. This is the first report of direct visual observation of the effects of an antioxidant on lipid peroxidation.