FERRIC REDUCTION ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL (FRAP) is a measure of antioxidant capacity quantified by the antioxidant potential to reduce ferric iron (III) to ferrous iron (II). Antioxidants protect cells from damage by reactive oxygen species that are produced by oxidation reactions. As oxidative stress contributes to the development of many diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and neurodegeneration, the use of antioxidants in pharmacology is intensively studied. Antioxidants are also widely used as dietary supplements and as preservatives in a wide range of products such as food, cosmetics, rubber, and gasoline.Simple, direct and high-throughput assays for antioxidant capacity find wide applications in research, the food industry, and drug discovery. BioAssay Systems’ improved assay measures antioxidant potential in which Fe3+ is reduced by antioxidant to Fe2+. The resulting Fe2+ specifically forms a colored complex with a chromogen. The color intensity at 590 nm is proportional to FRAP in the sample.
