A natural, effective, and inexpensive
hindered phenolic antioxidant
mixture was prepared by blending lignin into quercetin. The antioxidant
performance of lignin and quercetin mixture was analyzed by determining
the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity
and a low-cost and high-efficiency ratio was found to be 4:1 (w/w).
After UV radiation for 4 h, the DPPH scavenging ratio of the quercetin/lignin
mixture decreased only 13.8%, while that of quercetin and lignin decreased
42.9% and 28.6%, respectively. The UV and fluorescence analysis indicated
that quercetin molecules inserted into the lignin to weaken its aggregation
and form new conjugated structures. Adding lignin may provide a green
alternative to the expensive quercetin or synthetic antioxidants used
in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals