Antioxidant Properties & Function of Inositol and Inositol Phosphates

Abstract

Inositol and its phosphates, specifically InsP6 have antioxidant properties, the latter is a very strong antioxidant indeed. This is brought about by chelating iron through the Fenton Reaction. The exact mechanism how inositol acts as an antioxidant is not clear; however it could be by phosphorylation to inositol phosphates. Inositol hexaphosphate-citrate, a new molecule has double the valence than InsP6; thus it offers to be an even more powerful antioxidant. Owing to the antioxidant properties, these molecules have important biological functions beneficial to human and animal health, as well as industrial and environmental application.

Keywords: Eutrophication, Fenton Reaction, Free radical, Haber-Weiss Reaction, InsP6 citrate, lipid peroxidation, oxidants, reactive oxygen species, ROS, SOD, superoxide dismutase.