Methodological aspects about in vitro evaluation of antioxidant properties

Several of the most commonly used methods for in vitro determination of antioxidant capacity are reviewed in the present paper. The chemical principles of methods based either on biological oxidants (peroxyl radical, superoxide radical anion, hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radical, hypochlorous acid, singlet oxygen, nitric oxide radical, and peroxynitrite) or on non-biological assays (scavenging of 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonate) radical cation (TEAC assay), scavenging of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH assay), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP assay), Folin–Ciocalteu reducing capacity (FC assay), electrochemical total reducing capacity) are outlined and critically discussed. The scope of application, the advantages and shortcomings of each method are also highlighted.