Enhancing the Antioxidant Activity by the Combination use of Resveratrol and Emodin

Objective: Resveratrol, a natural product found in plants, is a polyphenolic compound with strong antioxidant activity. In order to enhance the antioxidant activity of resveratrol, we have used a natural product emodin, which has multiple hydroxyl group structure similar to resveratrol. Methods: In this study, we investigated the antioxidant activities of resveratrol and emodin in vitro respectively, including their abilities to scavenge 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radicals, hydroxyl radicals, and superoxide radicals. Results and Discussion: our results demonstrated that the combination of resveratrol and emodin significantly enhances antioxidant activity. And the process of their DPPH radical scavenging follows a first-order reaction kinetics equation. Finally, a possible mechanism for the scavenging of DPPH free radicals by resveratrol and emodin was proposed. Conclusions: We found that emodin combined with resveratrol can increase antioxidant activity. This study provides a new sight to enhance antioxidant activity.