Antioxidant Properties of Carboxymethyl Glucan: Comparative Analysis

Antioxidative capabilities of carboxymethylated (1 → 3)-β-D-glucan from Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell wall, α-tocopherol, and mannitol against lipid peroxidation in phosphatidylcholine liposomes induced by OH· radicals produced with Fenton's reagent (H2O2/Fe2+) were studied using absorption ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry. It was found that (1 → 3)-β-D-glucan is an antioxidant with the scavenging ability lying between that of α-tocopherol, which is known to be incorporated in the lipid bilayer, and the water-soluble antioxidant, mannitol.