Question

Consider the following scenario:

You come across a "new" nutritional supplement that proclaims it to be a rich source of the same antioxidants commonly found in carrots, tomatoes and various peppers. You examine the product and note its appearance: a dark brown color might simply be from some type of syntehetic food dye. Since you have recently examined some of the antioxidants found in paprika in your organic lab, you decide to play "detective." So, show off your detective skills!

Outline a strategy for a simple experiment that will help you determine whether the manufactureer's claims are true or false.

Answer 1

Antioxidants are the compounds which reduces the rate of freeradical reaction in any form. The common antioxidants are vitamin E, A and C. Clearly if we want to test a free radical presene via a organic reaction then most suitable option availbale is by anlysing any free radical based Organic reaction.

Most simple case is Photohalogen of Alkane which produces Alkyl halides via free radical substitution mechanism. Any antioxidant will reduce the rate of these reaction as they bind free radicals to themselves leading to quenching of the process and hence we will see the reduced rate of these reaction.

So simple steps to identify whether so called nutritional product is full of antioxidants, is to check whether presence of this product will reduce the rate of such reactions.

If in presence of this product quench the free radical substitution than it must have been made of antioxidants and if not, than it is not having any of the so called antioxidants.

*For more detals kindly see the effects of antioxidants on human health as well and I must say the ageing process in our is surely related with free radical present inside our blood stream.