Review: Methods Used to Evaluate the Free Radical Scavenging Activity in Foods and Biological Systems

Free radical generation is directly related with oxidation in foods and biological systems. Therefore, the search for methods to determine free radical scavenging is important. In this work are described the methods used for this purpose in both substrates as well as in specific cases of their application. The main methods comprise superoxide radicals scavenging (O2 ·-); hydrogen peroxide scavenging (H2O2); hypochlorous acid scavenging (HOCl); hydroxyl radical scavenging (HO.); peroxyl radical scavenging (ROO.), among them are the methods that use azo-compounds to generate peroxyl radicals, such as the ``TRAP'' method (Total Radical-Trapping Antioxidant Parameter) and the ``ORAC'' method (Oxygen-Radical…