Oxidation of the bioactive flavonoid fisetin was studied under inert atmosphere and under ambient conditions. The presence of fast subsequent chemical reactions following the electron transfer was supported by in situ spectroelectrochemistry and identification of products by HPLC-DAD and HPLC-ESI-MS/MS. In the absence of oxygen, 2,6-dihydroxy-2-(3',4'-dihydroxybenzoyl)-benzofuran-3(2H)-one was identified as the only oxidation product of fisetin. This product was found also as the main oxidation product in the presence of oxygen. The oxidation pathway leading to formation of a benzofuranone derivative can be considered as common for flavonols containing C2-C3 double bond, C3-OH group and dihydroxy-substituted phenyl moiety in its structure. This product was not stable and decomposed further even in contact with oxygen coming from eluents during chromatography. Two oxidation pathways occur under ambient conditions. DFT calculations support the result. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.