Quercetin as an inhibitor of hemoglobin-mediated lipid oxidation: Mechanisms of action and use of molecular docking

Journal article, 2022

The antioxidant effect of quercetin on hemoglobin(Hb)-mediated lipid oxidation and the mechanisms involved were investigated. Quercetin strongly inhibited Hb-mediated lipid oxidation in washed muscle. Quercetin showed effective hydroxyl radical scavenging ability similar to butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). Quercetin reduced metHb resulting in formation of oxyHb. Bound quercetin decreased heme dissociation from metHb. Conversion to oxyHb and decreased heme dissociation represent routes to limit Hb-mediated lipid oxidation. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) indicated one molecule of quercetin was covalently bound to Hb α-chain. Quercetin quinone docked 3.3 Å from the thiol of αCys(H15) but not near any other Cys residues of turkey Hb. At the docking site, hydrogen bonding between quercetin quinone and amino acids of α- and β-chain was demonstrated. This represents a path by which quercetin became covalently bound to α-chain. Molecular docking of heme proteins to polyphenols provides a template to better understand antioxidant interactions in muscle foods.