Quantitative Analysis of the Antioxidant Activity of Mexidol

The antioxidant activity of the drug Mexidol was quantitatively measured using an objective method. The rate constant for the reaction of Mexidol with peroxyl radicals of 1,4-dioxane was measured in 1,4-dioxane solution. Mexidol was found to inhibit oxidation of 1,4-dioxane and showed good antioxidant activity comparable to that of ionol. The obtained data were interesting for studying the mechanism of action of the antioxidant in biological systems because the physicochemical properties of 1,4-dioxane are close to those of water, in which processes associated with oxidative stress occur. Measurement of the rate constant for the reaction of the inhibitor with peroxyl radical also had fundamental importance for establishing the structure—reactivity relationship in order to predict the antioxidant activity of compounds.