Antioxidant Activity of Oligomeric Acylphloroglucinols from Myrtus communis L.

Author： Rosa Antonella Deiana Monica Casu Viviana Corona Giulia Appendino Giovanni Bianchi Federica Ballero Mauro Assunta DessÌ M.

Publisher： Informa Healthcare

ISSN： 1071-5762

Source： Free Radical Research, Vol.37, Iss.9, 2003-08, pp. : 1013-1019

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Abstract

The use of myrtle (Myrtus communis L.) as a culinary spice and as a flavoring agent for alcoholic beverages is widespread in the Mediterranean area, and especially in Sardinia. Myrtle contains unique oligomeric non-prenylated acylphloroglucinols, whose antioxidant activity was investigated in various systems. Both semimyrtucommulone (1) and myrtucommulone A (2) showed powerful antioxidant properties, protecting linoleic acid against free radical attack in simple in vitro systems, inhibiting its autoxidation and its FeCl₃- and EDTA-mediated oxidation. While both compounds lacked pro-oxidant activity, semimyrtucommulone was more powerful than myrtucommulone A, and was further evaluated in rat liver homogenates for activity against lipid peroxidation induced by ferric-nitrilotriacetate, and in cell cultures for cytotoxicity and the inhibition of TBH- or FeCl₃-induced oxidation. The results of these studies established semimyrtucommulone as a novel dietary antioxidant lead.