3.3. Hydroxyl radical scavenging activity
The hydroxyl radical is an extremely reactive free radical
formed in biological systems and has been implicated as a
highly damaging species in free radical pathology, capable
of damaging almost every molecule found in living cells
(Hochestein & Atallah, 1988). This radical has the capacity
to conjugate with nucleotides in DNA and cause strand
breakage, having far reaching implications leading ultimately
to carcinogenesis, mutagenesis and cytotoxicity. In
addition, these species are considered to be one of the quick
initiators of the lipid peroxidation process, abstracting
hydrogen atoms from unsaturated fatty acids