| The main transformation products of phenolic antioxidants in the antioxidant process are quinones. In order to gain a deeper understanding of the properties of these quinones, the progress of research on the main transformation products (tocoquinone, sage quinone, rosemary quinone, epigallocatechin quinone and tert-butyl benzoquinone (TBBQ)) of the commonly used antioxidants (tocopherol, carnosol, rosemanol, tea polyphenols and tert-butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ) ) was reviewed in terms of their chemical structures, detection methods, antioxidant activities, and the cytotoxicity of some of them. Quinones, the transformation products of the above phenolic antioxidants, are mostly detected by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and most of them have antioxidant activity, while some have pro-oxidant effects under certain conditions. Currently, studies of quinone cytotoxicity mainly focus on TBBQ and tocoquinone. In the future, research on the antioxidant effects, cytotoxicity and quantitative analysis methods of quinones should be intensified to lay the foundations for the scientific understanding of antioxidants and the development of new antioxidants. |
