Abstract
The term ‘scavengome’ refers to the chemical space of all the metabolites that may be formed from an antioxidant upon scavenging reactive oxygen or nitrogen species (ROS/RNS). This chemical space is very rich in structures representing an increased chemical complexity as compared to the parent antioxidant: a wide range of unusual heterocyclic structures, new C-C bonds, etc. may be formed. Further, in a biological environment, this increased chemical complexity is directly translated from the localized conditions of oxidative stress that determines the amounts and types of ROS/RNS present. Biomimetic oxidative chemistry provides an excellent tool to model chemical reactions between antioxidants and ROS/RNS. In this chapter, we provide an overview on the known metabolites obtained by biomimetic oxidation of a few selected natural antioxidants, i.e., a stilbene (resveratrol), a pair of hydroxycinnamates (caffeic acid and methyl caffeate), and a flavonol (quercetin), and discuss the drug discovery perspectives of the related chemical space.