Scavengome of an Antioxidant

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.