Abrasive stripping voltammetry of myricetin and dihydromyricetin

• The application of abrasive stripping voltammetry in the measurement of oxidation potentials of powders of myricetin and dihydromyricetin are reported.
• Electrode reaction of pyrogallol moiety in both compounds is reversible, two-electrons, two-protons process with unstable intermediate.
• The E7 value of myricetin suggests that this flavonoid is one of the best antioxidants.

Microparticles of flavonoids myricetin and dihydromyricetin are measured by cyclic and square-wave voltammetry. The first electrode reaction of both compounds is reversible, two-electrons, two-protons oxidation of pyrogallol group with E7 = 0.300 V vs. NHE. This makes them as potent antioxidants as quercetin. The second and the third electrode reactions are irreversible, one-electron, one-proton oxidations of hydroxyl groups. The results demonstrate that the applied technique is useful for the measurement of solid state reactivity of antioxidants.