Antioxidant properties of polyhydroxybenzoic acids and their esters, and other nuclear substituted polyphenols

Abstract

Summary and Conclusions: A study has been made of the antioxidant properties of a number of polyhydroxybenzoic acids and the higher alkyl esters of these acids, and also of the acyl and alkyl substituted polyphenols. The active oxygen method (A.O.M.) and baked cracker tests were used. In the A.O.M. tests the classes of compounds had the following ascending order of activity; acyl phenols, polyhydroxy benzoic acid esters, phenols, and several alkyl catechols. In the cracker tests the free phenols, acyl phenols, and dihydroxybenzoic acid esters showed little or no carry‐over. The gallic acid (3,4,5‐trihydroxybenzoic acid) esters and 2,3,4‐trihydroxybenzoic acid esters showed a small amount of carry‐over.The alkyl catechols had the most activity of all the catechol derivatives in the A.O.M. and cracker tests.