The antioxidant activity of curcumin (1,7-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione) was determined by inhibition of controlled initiation of styrene oxidation, Synthetic nonphenolic curcuminoids exhibited no antioxidant activity; therefore, curcumin is a classical phenolic chain-breaking antioxidant, donating H atoms from the phenolic groups not the CH2 group as has been suggested (Jovanovic et at. J. Am. Chem, Sec. 1999, 121, 9677). The antioxidant activities of omicron-methoxyphenols are decreased in hydrogen bond accepting media.