Chromobacterium violaceum is a β-proteobacterium, gram negative, facultative anaerobe, found in soil, rivers bank and water in tropical and subtropical regions all around the world. The species produce several indole pigments derivative from the amino acid tryptophan, through secondary metabolism. Violacein and desoxyviolacein are the most abundant pigments produced by C. violaceum. Previous works reported that culture extracts from C. violaceum, containing the pigments, shoved important biological activities. Therein lays the interest the possible antioxidant activity of this compound. The in vitro evaluation of the antioxidant potential was measured in different concentration of violacein or desoxyviolacein (250, 125, 50, 25, 10 and 5 mg/mL) in relation to Rutin (standard compound) by: I) 2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH) radical scavenger method measured at 518 nm; II) hydroxyl radical (HO^·) that was generated by deoxyribose method, and its reaction with TBA; III) lipid peroxidation was assayed using the TBA was indirectly detected through the pink chromophore measured at 532 nm. The results were comparatively expressed as 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC₅₀). Violacein and desoxyviolacein presented a DPPH-scavenging capability (IC₅₀ = 89.66 ± 4.28 and 116.99 ± 0.88 mg/mL), were effective in avoiding the oxidation of deoxyribose (IC₅₀ 16.45 ± 1.95 and 31.05 ± 1.81 mg/mL) and to inhibit lipoperoxidation (IC₅₀ = 35.54 ± 1.39 and 47.17 ± 3.88 mg/mL) but this potential were lower when compared to Rutin (IC₅₀ = 12.8 ± 1; 1.4 ± 0.2 and 10.4 ± 0.1 mg/mL) respectively. The results obtained suggest that both C. violaceum secondary metabolite, violacein and desoxyviolacein, present a free radical scavenging capacity and protection against membrane lipoperoxidation but violacein had better antioxidant potential than desoxyviolacein.