LAUSR

The reactivity indexes derived from conceptual density functional theory provide the tools for the analysis of the principal antioxidant compounds from Rosmarinus officinalis: carnosic acid, carnosol, genkwanin, rosmadial, and rosmarinic acid. Radicals produced from these compounds are compared to the highly oxidative radicals ·OH and ·OOH, azobisisobutyronitrile, the stable radical from 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, and phenol. Ionization energy, electronegativity, hardness, and electrophilicity show clear differences between these two kinds of radical species. In contrast, electrodonating power and electroaccepting power show similar behavior to electrophilicity and electron affinity, respectively. The donor–acceptor map shows the analyzed compounds mainly as good antioxidants and electron donators. The solvent effect of water and n-hexane is considered by applying PCM model calculations that result in a lowering of the values for the DFT reactivity indexes.