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.