Theoretical and experimental analysis of the antioxidant features of diarylhydrazones

Structural and energetic features of a series of 15 diarylhydrazone derivatives were studied via density functional theory (DFT) in order to identify the key features that most likely contribute to their antioxidant effect. Theoretical calculations were carried out at the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level. The calculated physicochemical parameters included the ionization potential, N-H dissociation enthalpy, proton affinity, HOMO/LUMO energies, and the band gaps of the most stable conformation of the compounds. To assess the contribution of these factors to the in vitro activity, the compounds were synthesized and their antioxidant activity was also determined in three commonly used assays. The hydrazones were evaluated for their radical scavenging against the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS), and peroxyl (ORAC assay) radicals. The experimental radical scavenging data of the compounds have been then plotted against the physicochemical characteristics and based on the obtained fits conclusions have been drawn regarding the relative importance of the respective factors.