A rapid, simple and inexpensive method to measure
antioxidant capacity of food involves the use of the free
radical, 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). DPPH
is widely used to test the ability of compounds to act
as free radical scavengers or hydrogen donors, and to
evaluate antioxidant activity of foods. It has also been
used to quantify antioxidants in complex biological
systems in recent years. The DPPH method can be
used for solid or liquid samples and is not specific to
any particular antioxidant component, but applies to the
overall antioxidant capacity of the sample. A measure of
total antioxidant capacity helps understand the functional
properties of foods.