Oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in the ageing process and in the pathogenesis of numerable diseases. The quantification of the phenomenon is of paramount importance. In the present study, we introduce a novel and simple assay, the Blue CrO(5) assay, for the evaluation of the oxidant and antioxidant capacity of various biological samples and known antioxidants. Chromium peroxide (CrO(5)) is produced by ammonium dichromate in an acidic environment in the presence of H(2)O(2). It is a deep blue potent oxidant compound, miscible and relatively stable in polar organic solvents, that can be easily measured by spectrophotometry. Its reduction by known antioxidants, both water- and lipid-soluble (ascorbate and alpha-tocopherol, respectively, in this study), detected spectrophotometrically as a decrease in the absorption and depicted in EPR spectra, can act as a measure of the antioxidant capacity of a certain compound. The assay displays significant sensitivity, stability, linearity, specificity and repeatability.