7-Hydroxy chromones as potent antioxidants

1. A method for providing an antioxidant to a host in need thereof, comprising administering to a host in need thereof an effective amount of a 7-hydroxychromone or a mixture of 7-hydroxychromones; wherein said 7-hydroxychromone or mixtures thereof are selected from the group of compounds having the following structure:

wherein:

R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are independently selected from the group consisting of —H, —OH, alkyl, alkenyl, oxoalkyl, oxoalkenyl, hydroxylalkyl, hydroxylalkenyl, —OR, an ester selected from the group consisting of gallate, acetate, cinnamoyl, and hydroxyl-cinnamoyl esters, trihydroxybenzoyl esters, caffeoyl esters, and a hexose or pentose, wherein said hexose or pentose is linked to the 7-hydroxychromone by a carbon, nitrogen, sulfur or oxygen and wherein said hexose or pentose is selected from the group consisting of aldopentoses, methyl aldopentose, aldohexoses, ketohexoses and mixtures thereof and wherein said hexose or pentose is optionally substituted to from an ester selected from the group consisting of gallate, acetate, cinnamoyl and hydroxyl-cinnamoyl esters, trihydroxybenzoyl esters and caffeoyl esters;

wherein said alkyl and/or alkenyl group is a straight and/or branched chain having between 1-20 carbon atoms with and/or without double bonds in different positions;

X is selected from the group of pharmaceutically acceptable counter anions consisting of hydroxyl, chloride, iodide, sulfate, phosphate, acetate, fluoride, and carbonate; and

R is an alkyl group having between 1-20 carbon atoms.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said 7-hydroxychrome is selected from aloesin or aloeresin A.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said 7-hydroxychrome is obtained from a plant part.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said plant is selected from the group consisting of the genus of Acacia, Adina, Aloe, Alternaria, Amoora, Antidesma, Artemisia, Baeckia, Cassia, Clusea, Cnidium, Convolvulus, Epimedium, Eriosema, Eriostemon, Eugenia, Garcinia, Hypericum, Lindenbergia, Pancratium, Penicillium, Polygonum, Ptaeroxylon, Rheum, Sophora, Stephanitis, Syzygium, Talaromyces and Zonaria.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein said plant is selected from the group consisting of Acacia catechu, Acacia concinna, Aloe arborescens, Aloe barbadensis, Aloe cremnophila, Aloe ferox, Aloe saponaria, Aloe vera, Aloe vera var. chinensis, Antidesma membranaceum, Artemisia capillaries, Baeckia frutescens, Epimedium sagittatum, Garcinia dulcis, Hypericum japonicum, Polygonum cuspidatum, Sophora tomentosa , and Stephanitis rhododendri.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein said plant part is selected from the group consisting of stems, stem barks, trunks, trunk barks, twigs, tubers, roots, root barks, young shoots, seeds, rhizomes, flowers and other reproductive organs, leaves and other aerial parts.

7. A method for providing an antioxidant to a host in need thereof, said method comprising administering to a host in need thereof an effective amount of a 7-hydroxychromone or a mixture of 7-hydroxychromones; wherein said 7-hydroxychromone or mixtures thereof are selected from the group of compounds having the following structure:

wherein:

R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are independently selected from the group consisting of —H, —OH, alkyl, alkenyl, oxoalkyl, oxoalkenyl, hydroxylalkyl, hydroxylalkenyl, —OR, an ester selected from the group consisting of gallate, acetate, cinnamoyl, and hydroxyl-cinnamoyl esters, trihydroxybenzoyl esters, caffeoyl esters, and a hexose or pentose, wherein said hexose or pentose is linked to the 7-hydroxychromone by a carbon, nitrogen, sulfur or oxygen and wherein said hexose or pentose is selected from the group consisting of aldopentoses, methyl aldopentose, aldohexoses, ketohexoses and mixtures thereof and wherein said hexose or pentose is optionally substituted to form an ester selected from the group consisting of gallate, acetate, cinnamoyl and hydroxyl-cinnamoyl esters, trihydroxybenzoyl esters and caffeoyl esters;

wherein said alkyl and/or alkenyl group is a straight and/or branched chain having between 1-20 carbon atoms with and/or without double bonds in different positions;

X is selected from the group of pharmaceutically acceptable counter anions consisting of hydroxyl, chloride, iodide, sulfate, phosphate, acetate, fluoride, and carbonate;

R is an alkyl group having between 1-20 carbon atoms; and

wherein said antioxidant acts through the simultaneous suppression of free radical generation and suppression of the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS).

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said 7-hydroxychrome is selected from aloesin or aloeresin A.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said 7-hydroxychrome is obtained from a plant part.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said plant is selected from the group consisting of the genus of Acacia, Adina, Aloe, Alternaria, Amoora, Antidesma, Artemisia, Baeckia, Cassia, Clusea, Cnidium, Convolvulus, Epimedium, Eriosema, Eriostemon, Eugenia, Garcinia, Hypericum, Lindenbergia, Pancratium, Penicillium, Polygonum, Ptaeroxylon, Rheum, Sophora, Stephanitis, Syzygium, Talaromyces and Zonaria.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said plant is selected from the group consisting of Acacia catechu, Acacia concinna, Aloe arborescens, Aloe barbadensis, Aloe cremnophila, Aloe ferox, Aloe saponaria, Aloe vera, Aloe vera var. chinensis, Antidesma membranaceum, Artemisia capillaries, Baeckia frutescens, Epimedium sagittatum, Garcinia dulcis, Hypericum japonicum, Polygonum cuspidatum, Sophora tomentosa , and Stephanitis rhododendri.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein said plant part is selected from the group consisting of stems, stem barks, trunks, trunk barks, twigs, tubers, roots, root barks, young shoots, seeds, rhizomes, flowers and other reproductive organs, leaves and other aerial parts.