Abstract
It is known that flavonols decrease the increased permeability and fragility of the capillary and that they can co-operate with ascorbic acid for therapy for increased permeability of the capillry. This paper deals with the effect of quercetin (an aglycone of flavonols) on photosensitized lysis of human erythrocytes in the presence of hematoporphyrin as a photosensitizer.
The results obtained were as follows.
1. The photosensitized hemolysis was protected by quercetin.
2. Quercetin seems to protect the hemolysis by terminating the radical chain reactions which occurred during lipid peroxidation and by scavenging singlet molecular oxygen which can initiate lipid peroxidation.
3. During the protection of the photosensitized hemolysis by quercetin, the quercetin was oxidized. The oxidation of the quercetin was partially suppressed by the ascorbic acid.
