44 Biomed. Papers 149 (Supplement 1), 2005 ELECTROCHEMICAL BEHAVIOUR 3/ OF FLAVONOIDS ON A SURFACE / / OF A CARBON PASTE ELECTRODE 2 4 8 / Pavel Hanuštiaka, Radka Mikelováa, O 1 5/ a, b c c 7 David Potěšil , Petr Hodek , Marie Stiborová , 1 2 René Kizeka 6/ 6 a Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty 3 of Agronomy, Mendel University of Agriculture and 4 5 Forestry, Zemědělská 1, CZ-613 00 Brno, Czech Republic O b Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Fig. 1. Flavonoid structure made of two benzene rings Masaryk University, Kotlářská 37, CZ-611 37 Brno, linked by heterocyclic pyran. Czech Republic c Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 2030, CZ-128 40 Prague, of health and could significantly support a physiological Czech Republic capacity or decrease a possibility of a disease appearing3. e-mail: [email protected] Different groups of metabolites such as phenolic acids, lignans, phytosterols, carotenoids, glucosinolates and Key words: Flavonoids/Antioxidant/Rutin/Quercetin/ also flavonoids influence human health as described Quercitrin/Diosmin/Chrysin/Carbon paste electrode/ above2. Flavonoids comprise a wide-ranging group of Square wave voltammetry plant phenols. Up to now, more than 4,000 of flavonoid compounds are known and new ones have been still dis- covering. Flavonoids are derived from heterocyclic oxy- ABSTRACT gen compound, flavan, which is formed by two benzene rings linked by heterocyclic pyran (Fig. 1). All three rings Recent papers discuss relation of flavonoid compounds could be substituted by hydroxy- or methoxy-groups and and tumour diseases. In addition it is impossible to say particular derivates differs only in degree of substitution that effect of flavonoids is positive or negative without and oxidation. We distinguish following basic structures of epidemiological studies. That is why it is necessary to flavonoids: catechins, leukoanthocyanidins, flavanons, fla- suggest a simple, low cost and sensitive technique for de- vononols, flavons and anthocyanides. Natural flavonoids termination of these compounds in biological material. occur mostly in form of O-glycoside. Existence of free The electrochemical techniques are very suitable for these aglycones is rare, but it was observed that concentration purposes. Here we suggested the electrochemical tech- of free aglycones could increase in specific conditions nique for the determination of rutin, quercetin, quercitrin, (during technological processing at high temperatures and chrysin and diosmin by square wave voltammetry using also in acidic medium) when hydrolysis of glycosides may carbon paste electrode as a working electrode. The limits proceed4, 5. of detection of the studied flavonoids were about tens of Antioxidative activity of flavonoids, which means e.g. nM, except diosmin (tens of µM). capability to scavenging of reactive oxygen species or pro- tection of LDL fractions of lipids against their oxidative modification (crucial during atherosclerosis progress), INTRODUCTION has been studying. Moreover, flavonoids have other ef- fects – anticoagulant, antiestrogenic, antiinflammatory It is common knowledge that compounds contained (digestive tract), antimicrobial, or spasmolytic (Fig. 2). in food considerably affect our health. People living in In addition opinions of the scientists markedly vary in developed country have not usually problems with insuf- case of the relation of flavonoids with tumour diseases. ficient food and nutrient intake, contrarywise, they con- Number of authors assign to them anticancer effect which sume more than need1. Therefore there is needed to take is ascertained in in vitro tests and on animal models. On care of compounds which are present in minor amount the other hand, this effect has not been proved in epide- in food as well. For example vitamins or mineral elements miological studies2, 6–8. The same scientists allege that an belong to the minor food component, but there are many anticancer activity of flavonoids could be deduced from other constituents which have both positive and nega- theirs chemical structure and that the activity appear in tive affect on health of the consumer. In relation to this, both initiatory and promotional phase of carcinogenesis. some authors speak about foodstuffs called nutraceutics2. In connection with this activity, the following mechanisms Nutraceutics represent foodstuffs that could positively af- are discussed: i) inhibition of enzymes of phase I (PIE) fect physiological functions of a human organism. To be encouraging oxidation, ii) induction of conjugating and specific, it was proved that they influence general state detoxificating enzymes of phase II, iii) direct interaction Biomed. Papers 149 (Supplement 1), 2005 45 antimicrobial effect anticoagulant effect spasmolytic effect Flavonoids antiestrogennic effect antioxidant effect elimination of reactive oxygen species Fig. 2. Scheme of possible effects of flavonoids. with DNA, iv) induction of apoptosis (programmed cell a standard cell with three electrodes. The working elec- death), v) inhibition of cell proliferation, vi) antioxidant trode was a carbon paste electrode. The reference elec- action, vii) modulation of immune system. trode was an Ag/AgCl/3M KCl electrode and the auxiliary On the contrary, there are also authors which are con- electrode was a graphite electrode. The supporting elec- vinced of carcinogen affecting of some flavonoids9, 10. They trolyte was prepared by mixing buffer components. For assert that applying of high dose of flavonoids, for exam- smoothing and baseline correction the software GPES 4.4 ple diosmin, on the one hand effectively protects forma- supplied by EcoChemie was employed. SWV experiments tion of certain adducts with DNA but on the second hand were performed at room temperature. The measurements has simultaneously genotoxic influence. It could be taken were performed using the following parameters: initial an exception that as high amount of flavonoid is not able potential = 0.1 V, end potential = 1.2 V, pulse amplitude = to achieve without food supplements. But it was found out 49.85 mV, step potential = 1.95 mV, and frequency = 180 -1 that flavonoids concentration can increase to mmol.l due Hz. Phosphate buffer (0.1 M NaH2PO4 + 0.1 M Na2HPO4, to limited resorption of them in small intestine and water pH 7.0) was used as a supporting electrolyte. The carbon resorption in large intestine6, 7. paste (about 0.5 g) was made of graphite powder (Aldrich) In this work we were concerned with suggestion of and mineral oil (Sigma; free of DNase, RNase, and pro- electroanalytical technique for determination of quercetin, tease). The ratio of the graphite powder and mineral oil quercitrin, rutin, diosmin and chrysin on the surface of was 70/30 (w/w). This paste was housed in a Teflon body a carbon paste electrode. having a 2.5-mm-diameter disk surface. Prior to measure- ments, the electrode surface was renewed by polishing it with soft filter paper. MATERIAL AND METHODS Chemicals RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Methanol, NaH2PO4, diosmin, chrysin, quercetin di- hydrate, carbon powder, and mineral oil were purchased Using of an electroanalytical approach for detection from Sigma Aldrich Chemical Corp. (St. Louis, MO, of flavonoids is rare11, 12. Analytical determination of flavo- USA). Rutin trihydrate and quercitrin dihydrate were noids is currently maintained mainly by chromatographic 13–17 15, 18, 19 from Roth GmbH (Karlsruhe, Germany). Na2HPO4 was procedures and capillary electrophoresis . Electro- purchased from Merck (Darmstadt, Germany). Solutions chemical procedures represent advantageous possibility of were prepared using ACS water from Sigma Aldrich. miniaturisation and simultaneous analysis in vivo without disruption of living organism in comparison with these Electrochemical measurements commonly used methods. Electrochemical measurements were performed with Recently, method for electrochemical determination of AUTOLAB Analyser (EcoChemie, Netherlands) con- quercetin using glassy carbon electrode was published12. nected to VA-Stand 663 (Metrohm, Switzerland), using A renewing of the electrode surface (polishing by alumi- 46 Biomed. Papers 149 (Supplement 1), 2005 /( A B /( "ACKGROUND ELECTROLYTE 1UERCITRIN /( 2UTIN C #( /( /( (/ / K / A E (/ / /( P K A E / /( / /( P / /#(/( /( / / 3CAN 3CAN /( /( / 3CAN #( (/ /( /( ±! K ±! K A ±! A E E P P 0OTENTIAL 6 0OTENTIAL 6 0OTENTIAL 6 1UERCETIN #HRYSIN $IOSMIN D E F #( /( (/ / /( /( / (/ / (/ / #( K A /( (# / / / E (/ / P K A E (/ /( 3CAN P /( 3CAN 3CAN /( / /( /( / /( / K A K E A ±! P E K ±! ±! P A K E A P E P 0OTENTIAL 6 0OTENTIAL 6 0OTENTIAL 6 Fig. 3. Square–wave voltammograms of the studied flavonoids at 10 µM concentration – a) background electrolyte, b) quercitrin, c) rutin, d) quercetin, e) chrysin and e) 100 µM of diosmin. The SWV parameters were as follows: initial potential = 0.1 V, end potential = 1.2 V, pulse amplitude = 49.85 mV, step potential = 1.95 mV, and frequency = 180 Hz. Phosphate buffer (0.1 M NaH2PO4 + 0.1 M Na2HPO4, pH 7.0) was used as a supporting electrolyte. For other details see Materials and Methods section. na, ultrasound) is the main disadvantage of this approach. signal of chrysin and diosmin were lower in comparison Therefore we suggested the method utilising carbon paste with signal of quercetin and its glycosylated derivatives electrode (CPE) for determination of quercetin, rutin, (Fig. 3d, e). The observed decrease of electrochemical quercitrin, chrysin, and