1. Antioxidant activity of knotwood extractives and phenolic compounds of selected tree species.
- Author
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Willför SM, Ahotupa MO, Hemming JE, Reunanen MH, Eklund PC, Sjöholm RE, Eckerman CS, Pohjamo SP, and Holmbom BR
- Subjects
- Free Radical Scavengers chemistry, Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, Lipid Peroxidation drug effects, Peroxides chemistry, Plant Extracts pharmacology, Superoxides chemistry, Antioxidants analysis, Plant Extracts chemistry, Trees chemistry, Wood
- Abstract
The antioxidant potency and the radical scavenging capacity of superoxide and peroxyl radicals were assessed for 13 hydrophilic knotwood extracts of commercially important wood species, or fractions thereof, as well as for five pure wood-derived lignans and the flavonoid taxifolin. The chemical composition of the knotwood extracts was determined by gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry. Most of the investigated wood species were rich in hydrophilic extractives (10-20% of the dry wood) with one or a few compounds dominating in each extract. All extracts had a high antioxidative potency and/or radical scavenging capacity as compared to the well-known antioxidants Trolox and butylated hydroxyanisole. The pure wood-derived lignans and taxifolin also had a high antioxidative potency and/or radical scavenging capacity. However, the antioxidant potency and/or radical scavenging capacity of several of the hydrophilic knotwood extracts were higher than that of the dominating compounds in pure form.
- Published
- 2003
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