Flavonoid effects on DNA oxidation at low concentrations relevant to physiological levels

Flavonoids, which are abundant in fruits and vegetables, are known to have many beneficial health effects. Antioxidant activity is likely to be a main function but has been mostly studied at high flavonoid concentrations which are not feasible at the intracellular level. In this experiment, several flavonoids (e.g., catechin, quercetin, myricetin, luteolin, morin and cyanidin) were examined at low physiologically relevant concentrations. Calf thymus DNA was treated with different flavonoids at concentrations of 0.1, 1, 10 and 100 μM using Fenton conditions to induce oxidation and several oxidative adducts including 8-hydroxy guanine (7,8-dihydro-8-oxo-2′-deoxyguanosine; 8-OH guanine) were analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry-selective ion monitoring (GC–MS-SIM). Catechin, quercetin and cyanidin inhibited 8-OH guanine formation by 92%, 33% and 45%, respectively, at low concentrations (0.1 μM). In addition catechin and quercetin showed antioxidant activities on 8-OH guanine formation over all concentrations. When the oxidative DNA adduct 4,6-diamino-5-formamidopyrimidine (fapy-adenine) was measured, however, the highest concentrations of catechin and quercetin actually increased adduct formation. These results indicate that flavonoids can act as antioxidants at low concentrations relevant to physiological levels. However measuring only one oxidative DNA adduct as a biomarker may result in misleading conclusions regarding antioxidant activities of natural products.