Pyridoindole stobadine is a potent scavenger of hydroxyl radicals.

Stobadine is a potent scavenger of OH. radicals generated chemically in a free solution with kappa 2 higher than 10(10).M-1.s-1 as determined by two independent methods, namely destruction of deoxyribose and oxidation of 2-keto-4-methiolbutyric acid (KMBA). The high efficacy of stobadine to prevent ethylene production from KMBA was observed also in enzymatic (xanthine-xanthine oxidase-driven Fenton) and membrane-bound (NADPH-dependent microsomal electron transfer) sources of OH. radicals.