Flavonoids and urate antioxidant interplay in plasma oxidative stress

Flavonoids are naturally occurring plant compounds with antioxidant properties. Their consumption has been associated with the protective effects of certain diets against some of the complications of atherosclerosis. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidative modification is currently thought to be a significant event in the atherogenic process. Most of the experiments concerning the inhibition of LDL oxidation used isolated LDL. We used diluted human whole plasma to study the influence of flavonoids on lipid peroxidation (LPO) promoted by copper, and their interaction with uric acid, one of the most important plasma antioxidants. Lipid peroxidation was evaluated by the formation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and of free malondialdehyde (MDA). The comparative capability of the assayed flavonoids on copper (II) reduction was tested using the neocuproine colorimetric test. In our assay system, urate disappears and free MDA and TBARS formation increase during the incubation of plasma with copper. Most of the tested flavonoids inhibited copper-induced LPO. The inhibition of LPO by flavonoids correlated positively with their capability to reduce copper (II). The urate consumption during the incubation of plasma with copper was inhibited by myricetin, quercetin and kaempferol. The inhibition of urate degradation by flavonoids correlated positively with the inhibition of LPO. Urate inhibited the copper-induced LPO in a concentration-dependent mode. Luteolin, rutin, catechin and quercetin had an antioxidant synergy with urate. Our results show that some flavonoids could protect endogenous urate from oxidative degradation, and demonstrate an antioxidant synergy between urate and some of the flavonoids.