Synthesis and Antioxidant Activity of Phenylpropanoid Glycoside Analogs
Department or Program
Chemistry
Abstract
Plants are exposed to a number of stresses including high UV light and nutrient deficiency. In order to combat the effects of these stresses, plants employ a number of naturally occurring compounds. One of the largest subsets of these compounds, and the subject of this project, are phenylpropanoids (PPs). PPs relieve stress in plants by acting as antioxidants, or free radical scavengers. Because an excess of free radicals in humans has been linked to ailments such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease, the antioxidant power of PPs makes them an important topic of study. This work set out to examine the mechanism by which PPs scavenge free radicals. To do this, ten compounds were synthesized, each containing one, two, three, or four PPs. The compounds were then analyzed for their radical scavenging activity by calculating the number of radicals scavenged after a fixed amount of time in both a proton-rich and a proton-deficient solvent. The experiments in the proton rich solvent showed that an increasing number of PPs, increased the radical scavenging activity of the substrates. In the proton-deficient solvent, the compounds had significantly lower radical scavenging activities, indicating that the proton-rich solvent played a role in the radical scavenging mechanism of these substrates.
Level of Access
Restricted: Archival Copy [No Access]
First Advisor
Koviach-Cote, Jennifer
Date of Graduation
5-2013
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science
Recommended Citation
Brown, Jennifer C., "Synthesis and Antioxidant Activity of Phenylpropanoid Glycoside Analogs" (2013). Honors Theses. 74.
https://scarab.bates.edu/honorstheses/74
Number of Pages
108
Components of Thesis
1 pdf file