What is the chemical structure of anthocyanins and how does it contribute to their antioxidant activity?
Label:chem
Topic
Anthocyanins are a subgroup of flavonoids, which are benzopyran derivatives characterized by the 2-phenyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-chromene skeleton. They consist of a sugar moiety and an aglycone (anthocyanidin), which is a polyhydroxy and polymethoxy flavylium cation.
Answer
The antioxidant activity of anthocyanins depends on their chemical structure, resulting from their high reactivity as hydrogen or electron donors and their ability to chelate transition metal ions via hydroxyl groups. Unmethylated anthocyanins, particularly those with numerous OH groups in the B ring, exhibit greater antioxidant activity compared to their methylated counterparts.
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