Using chemistry to develop new forms of antioxidants

Antioxidants are essential for protecting the body by neutralizing harmful molecules called free radicals, which are produced through metabolism. They can worsen by lifestyle factors like smoking and environmental exposure, such as pollution. Foods rich in antioxidants, like blueberries, offer a natural defense, helping to counteract the damaging effects of these free radicals and promote overall health. When trying to treat increased levels of free radicals that occur because of disease and require high levels of antioxidants, physicians can be limited because some synthetic antioxidants are not very effective in the body as they don’t dissolve well in water. CMU Chemistry graduate student, Nanzhu Li, is researching the creation of an effective antioxidant with increased solubility in the body.  

Li is working on synthesizing a branched structure called a dendron that is based on Methyl gallate, a naturally occurring antioxidant. Methyl gallate on its own isn’t water-soluble, making it unsuitable for treating free radicals. However, the Methyl gallate-based dendrimers Li is creating will dissolve better in water and are less likely to become harmful by turning into pro-oxidants. Li is attaching a variety of molecules to the surface of these dendrimers to determine which has the highest solubility. Li hopes this approach will make the antioxidants more effective and suitable for the body. 

CMU, along with Li’s mentor Choon Lee, Ph.D., have helped Li with this research by providing her with the proper instruments and laboratory facilities. A recent Summer Program in the Arts and Research grant from the CMU Office of Research and Graduate Studies also enabled her to advance her studies and create the necessary components needed for her work. Li actively seeks opportunities to present her research to get feedback and expand the impact her findings could have in the future. As her research continues, Li aims to develop multiple formulations of effective antioxidants with different solubility profiles to make them beneficial for treating a range of human diseases.