Cottonseed with a high (+)- to (-)-gossypol enantiomer ratio favorable to broiler production

This study was designed to evaluate the relative toxicity of (+)- and (-)-gossypol enantiomers in 0-3-week-old broilers. Treatments consisted of broiler starter diets formulated with either a glandless, which did not contain gossypol, a commercial glanded [62. 2% (+)-gossypol], or a glanded moco [83.2% (+)-gossypol] crushed cottonseed (CCS) (six replicates/treatment) plus a soybean meal negative control. Glandless cottonseed was mixed with the moco cottonseed (2.4% free gossypol) so that both the commercial glanded and moco glanded cottonseeds contained equivalent concentrations of free gossypol (2.0%). The cottonseed treatments were added at 5 and 10% of the diet. Body weights and feed conversions were determined weekly. Body weights and feed-to-gain ratios of broilers fed 5 and 10% glandless CCS and 5% moco CCS were not significantly different. Broilers receiving 10% commercial glanded CCS weighed significantly less than those subjected to all other treatments. Feed-to-gain ratios were significantly higher for broilers receiving 10% commercial glanded and 10% moco CCS as compared to 5% moco and glandless CCS, 10% glandless CCS, and control. Relative liver weights of birds receiving 10% moco CCS were significantly less than those of birds receiving 10% commercial CCS. The data clearly showed that broilers fed moco CCS containing a relatively high (+)- to (-)-gossypol enantiomer ratio performed better than broilers receiving commercial CCS with a lower (+)- to (-)-gossypol enantiomer ratio.     

Production, characterization, and application of anti-gossypol polyclonal antibodies

This paper describes the development of antibodies for detection of gossypol in cottonseed. Gossypol was linked to LPH (Limulus polyphemus hemolymph), BSA (bovine serum albumin), amines, or amino acids via Schiff base intermediates for the production of immunogen, solid-phase, and gossypol derivatives. Products were stabilized using NaBH(3)CN. Polyclonal antibodies were produced from rabbits after four immunizations with gossypol-LPH. In ELISA, approximately 0.4 mu caused 50% inhibition of binding (I(50)) to gossypol-BSA solid-phase, when gossypol derivatives were used competitively. This antibody showed higher affinity to lysine-derivatized gossypol, hemigossypol, gossypolone, 6, 6'-dimethoxygossypol, and hexamethoxygossypol compared to underivatized counterparts, and this antibody did not recognize naphthalene or naphthol. The ELISA results for acetone-extractable gossypol in cottonseed products (derivatized with L-(+)-lysine) showed good correlation (r(2) = 0.96) with free gossypol results obtained using the official AOCS method.     

Toxicity of (+)- and (-)-gossypol to the plant pathogen,Rhizoctonia solani

The dimeric sesquiterpene gossypol occurs naturally in cottonseed and other parts of the cotton plant. Gossypol exists as enantiomers because of the restricted rotation around the central binaphthyl bond. The (-)-enantiomer is toxic to nonruminant animals while the (+)-enantiomer exhibits little, if any, toxicity to these animals. Developing cotton plants with low levels of the (-)-gossypol could expand the use of cottonseed as a feed source. Gossypol also may play a role in protecting the plant from pathogens. The relative toxicity of (+)- and (-)-gossypol to plant pathogens has not been reported. We measured the concentration of (+)- and (-)-gossypol in roots from cotton seedlings that were treated with the biocontrol agent Trichoderma virens that induces biosynthesis of gossypol and related terpenoids in cotton roots. (-)-Gossypol was the minor enantiomer in control and treated roots, but levels were slightly higher in roots from T. virens-treated seed. We also determined the toxicity of the gossypol enantiomers and the racemate to the seedling disease pathogen Rhizoctonia solani. The (+)- and (-)-enantiomers of gossypol and the racemate are equally effective in inhibiting growth of this pathogen. The lethal doses of the gossypols required to kill the pathogen appeared to be similar, but their toxicities are significantly less than those of related cotton and kenaf sesquiterpenes. The results indicate that altering the enantiomeric ratio in cotton roots will not adversely affect the resistance of seedlings to the seedling pathogen R. solani.     

Ratios of (+)- and (-)-gossypol in leaves, stems, and roots of selected accessions of Gossypium hirsutum var. marie galante (Watt) Hutchinson

Gossypol is an allelochemical that occurs naturally throughout the cotton plant as an enantiomeric mixture. Gossypol and related terpenoids protect the plant from some insect herbivores. Cottonseed has a high protein content, but it is underutilized because (-)-gossypol, which is toxic to nonruminants, occurs in the seed along with (+)-gossypol. Commercial Upland cottons usually have an approximate 3:2 (+)- to (-)-gossypol ratio in the seed, but plants can be bred with <8% (-)-gossypol using accessions of Gossypium hirsutum var. marie galante as parents. We report the (+)- and (-)-gossypol ratios and the concentration of related terpenoids in the stems, leaves, and roots of four accessions of marie galante that show high, moderate, and near normal levels of (+)-gossypol in the seed; we compare these values to the commercial cultivar Stoneville 474, which has 62% (+)-gossypol in the seed. In the marie galante accessions 2452 and 2425 that have the highest levels of (+)-gossypol in the seed, the percent (+)-gossypol and the concentration of gossypol and the related terpenoids were significantly higher (P = 0.05) in the stems and leaves as compared to Stoneville 474. Our analysis indicates that progeny from accessions 2452 and 2425 that retain these traits should not be overly susceptible to herbivorous insects.     

Gossypol and gossypolone enantiomers in tissues of rainbow trout fed low and high levels of dietary cottonseed meal

Gossypol is an antifertilizing agent in males and females. However, gossypol and its metabolite, gossypolone, have also gained interest because of their anticarcinogenic activities. This paper examines for the first time both enantiomers of tissue gossypol and gossypolone in mature rainbow trout fed two diets containing low (15%) and high (60%) levels of cottonseed meal (CM) for 9 months. The gossypol concentration was highest in liver followed by kidney, intestine, testis, blood plasma, stomach, and muscle. Gossypol was detected in muscles of fish fed low- and high-CM diets (0.31 +/- 0.03 and 1.95 +/- 0.59 microg of total gossypol/g, wet basis, respectively). The (+)-gossypol enantiomer was predominantly retained in all tissues. The ratio of (-)- to total gossypol ranged from 30 to 44% in fish fed the high-CM diet and from 23 to 30% in fish fed the low-CM diet except for muscle tissue (44%). Higher gossypolone concentrations were found in intestine than in liver. Gossypolone, however, was not detected in blood plasma, muscle, and testis of fish fed the low-CM diet. The ratio of gossypolone to gossypol was highest in muscle (1.75), followed by intestine (1.59), stomach (1.50), kidney (0.43), liver (0.34), testis (0.28), and blood plasma (0.27). This study indicated that the retention of the (-)-gossypol enantiomer is dependent on dietary concentrations and that the oxidative conversion of gossypol to gossypolone occurs more actively in the digestive tract and muscle than in other tissues in rainbow trout.     

Determination of gossypol enantiomer ratio in cotton plants by chiral higher-performance liquid chromatography

A celulose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) coated onto APS silica (Nucleosil, particle size, 7 microm; pore size, 500 A) was used under a reversed-phase condition to measure the enantiomeric ratios of gossypol enantiomers in cottonseeds, flowers, and roots in a number of cultivars samples of different Gossipium species. While unidimensional chromatography was used for measuring the enantiomeric ratio of all the samples of G. hirsutum, G. mustelinum, and in the seeds of G. barbadense, multidimensional chromatography was necessary for the analysis of samples of roots and flowers of G. barbadense. In the latter case, an ODS Hypersil column was used in the first dimension for sample clean up, and the enantiomers were resolved on the second dimension by the chiral column. As expected, all the seed samples of G. hirsutum and G. mustelinum showed the (P)-(+)-enantiomer in excess, whereas the seeds of G. barbadense showed the (M)-(-)-enantiomer. However, (P)-(+)-gossypol was found in enantiomeric excess in three samples examined of roots and in one of flower of G. barbadense. These results are discussed in this paper.     

Development of competitive direct ELISA for gossypol analysis

Anti-gossypol monoclonal antibody was purified from cell culturing supernatant by ammonium sulfate precipitation and Protein A AffinityPak. The antigen (i.e., gossypol) was labeled with horseradish peroxidase through Schiff-base formation. Both the purified antibody and the enzyme-labeled gossypol were employed to develop a competitive direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cdELISA) for gossypol analysis. I50 value, the concentration of gossypol causing 50% inhibition of the maximum ELISA signal in the competitive standard curve, was 0.067 microg/mL, whereas the detection limit for gossypol was 0.005 microg/mL. We also observed a good correlation (R2= 0.96, P < 0.05) between the cdELISA method and the AOCS official method for "free" gossypol (extractable gossypol and gossypol derivatives by 70% acetone) analysis of cottonseed meals. This indicates that the newly developed cdELISA could be a valuable and feasible alternative for determination of "free" gossypol, especially when the available sample is limited with relatively low gossypol concentration.     

Occurrence of (+)- and (-)-gossypol in wild species of cotton and in Gossypium hirsutum Var. marie-galante (Watt) Hutchinson

Gossypol occurs as a mixture of enantiomers in cottonseed. These enantiomers exhibit different biological activities. The (-)-enantiomer is toxic to animals, but it has potential medicinal uses. Therefore, cottonseed with >95% (-)-gossypol could have biopharmaceutical applications. The (+)-enantiomer shows little, if any, toxicity to nonruminant animals. Thus, cottonseed with >95% (+)-gossypol could be more readily utilized as a feed for nonruminants. The (+)- to (-)-gossypol ratio in commercial Upland (Gossypium hirsutum) cottonseed is usually about 3:2, whereas that in commercial Pima cottonseed (Gossypium barbadense) is approximately 2:3. Herein are reported the (+)- to (-)-gossypol ratios in the seed from 28 wild species of cotton (194 accessions), 94 accessions of G. hirsutum var. marie-galante, and 3 domesticated species (11 accessions). It was found that some or all of the accessions of Gossypium darwinii, Gossypium sturtianum, Gossypium areysianum, Gossypium longicalyx, Gossypium harknessii, and Gossypium costulatum produce an excess of (-)-gossypol but none >65%. At least one accession of Gossypium anomalum, Gossypium mustelinum, Gossypium gossypioides, and Gossypium capitis-viridis contained >94% (+)-gossypol. One of the 94 accessions of G. hirsutum var. marie-galante (i.e., no. 2469) contained 97% (+)-gossypol.     

Production and characterization of a monoclonal antibody against the beta-adrenergic agonist ractopamine

A monoclonal antibody was generated toward the beta-adrenergic agonist ractopamine hydrochloride ?(1R,3R),(1R, 3S)-4-hydroxy-alpha-[[[3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-methylpropyl]amino]methy l]benzenemethanol hydrochloride?. Ractopamine-glutarate-keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) was used as the antigen for antibody generation in mice. Clone 5G10, secreted antibody with isotype IgG1kappa, was used for the development of an immunoassay. The selected antibody was specific for racemic ractopamine with an IC(50) of 2.69 +/- 0.36 ng/mL (n = 15). Antibody binding toward ractopamine was stereoselective with (1R,3R)-ractopamine having an IC(50) of 0.55 +/- 0.09 ng/mL (n = 3). IC(50) values for the (1S, 3R)-, (1S,3S)-, and (1R,3S)-ractopamine stereoisomers were 2.00 +/- 0.37, 140 +/- 23, and 291+/- 32 ng/mL (n = 3), respectively. Phenethanolamine beta-agonists showed low cross-reactivity. Studies using a series of ractopamine metabolites and ractopamine analogues demonstrated structural requirements for the antibody binding. A free phenolic group on the N-butylphenol moiety was required for high-affinity binding because methoxylated analogues and metabolites glucuronidated at this phenol generally had IC(50) values greater than 200 ng/mL. Ractopamine analogues methoxylated or glucuronidated at the ethanolamine phenol had IC(50) values of 0.7-2.6 ng/mL. Lack of a benzylic hydroxyl group was of less importance to antibody binding than was the correct stereochemical orientation (3R) of ractopamine's N-phenylalkyl group. In conclusion, a highly specific monoclonal antibody to ractopamine hydrochloride was developed that could be of potential utility in screening assays.     

Development of monoclonal antibody-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for gossypol analysis in cottonseed meals

A monoclonal antibody-based indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ic-ELISA) was developed for the analysis of gossypol in cottonseed meals. First, the checkerboard method was used to determine the optimum amount of coating antigen gossypol-BSA (bovine serum albumin) and primary anti-gossypol monoclonal antibody (Mab) needed in the ic-ELISA. Second, the effects of several physical (incubation time and temperature) and chemical (solvent types and concentrations) conditions on the performance of Mab on ic-ELISA were investigated to get a rapid robust assay with high sensitivity. Under the established optimized condition, the concentration of gossypol giving 50% reduction of the maximum ELISA signal (I50) in the competitive standard curve was 0.20 microg/mL, whereas the detection limit for gossypol was 0.024 microg/mL. This ic-ELISA method for the analysis of gossypol extracted by methanol from a variety of cottonseed meals was further compared with the official method of the American Oil Chemists' Society (AOCS). The amounts of gossypol determined by the ic-ELISA had a good correlation with those obtained by the AOCS method (R2 = 0.90).     

Aflatoxin, a human carcinogen: determination in foods and biological samples by monoclonal antibody affinity chromatography

We have used monoclonal antibody technology to produce antibodies that recognize aflatoxins in order to develop noninvasive methods in conjunction with other chemical analytical techniques to monitor human exposure to environmental carcinogens. These methods require the ability to quantitate aflatoxins and their metabolites, including DNA and protein adducts, in readily accessible compartments such as serum and urine. The techniques permit efficient analysis of many samples in a relatively short time. Also, these monoclonal antibody affinity columns have been extremely useful for rapid isolation of aflatoxins from food and grain samples, as well as aflatoxin M1 from milk. Monoclonal antibody affinity methods are nondestructive to the aflatoxin molecule, so the sample aliquot can be used for confirmation. The use of monoclonal antibody preparative affinity columns represents a major, substantive breakthrough for analytical chemists and will be a generally applicable technology for isolation of many different substances.     

Production and characterization of monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies to forchlorfenuron

The development of immunoassays for the detection of the plant growth regulator forchlorfenuron (CPPU) is described. To achieve that purpose, a set of CPPU derivatives has been obtained by the previous synthesis of the adequate p-aminophenyl alkanoic acid. Protein conjugates of these compounds have been used as immunogens to produce rabbit polyclonal antibodies and a collection of mouse monoclonal antibodies. Additionally, a battery of structural analogues of the target analyte has been synthesized and used for the characterization of antibody binding. This strategy has demonstrated that most antibodies followed Landsteiner's principle, although some monoclonal antibodies showing important deviations from this behavior have also been found. Finally, different assay formats have been developed with a variety of antibodies and conjugates, and a rapid procedure has been optimized for the indirect ELISA format using monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies. In the indirect competitive ELISA, assay IC50 values for CPPU below 0.5 nM were found with LODs as low as 0.013 nM.     

Development of a monoclonal antibody-based enzyme-linked immuosorbent assay for the beta-adrenergic agonist zilpaterol

Zilpaterol is a beta-adrenergic agonist approved for use as a growth promoter in cattle in South Africa and Mexico but not in the European Union, United States, or Asia. Here, we report the development of a monoclonal antibody-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for zilpaterol. Mice immunized with zilpaterol-butyrate-keyhole limpet hemocyanin were utilized for monoclonal antibody generation whereas zilpaterol-butyrate-bovine serum albumin was used as a coating antigen for ELISA. Thirteen clones were isolated, and after the initial sensitivity and isotyping experiments, three clones were selected for further ELISA optimization. Studies indicated that the optimum pH was near 7.4. Clone 3H5 had the highest sensitivity to zilpaterol and some interaction with clenbuterol and terbutaline at high concentrations but not other N-alkyl [bamethane, (-)-isoproterenol, (+)-isoproterenol, metaproterenol, or salbutamol] or N-arylalkyl (fenoterol, isoxsuprine, ractopamine, or salmeterol) beta-agonists tested. However, clone 3H5 was not functional at high salt concentrations, which precluded further development for urine analysis. Clone 2E10 showed increased sensitivity as salt concentrations were increased and did not cross-react with any of the structural analogues tested. However, its sensitivity to salt and urine concentration changes could cause high variability. Clone 7A8 showed good sensitivity and only a modest change with the salt concentration changes. Clone 7A8 also demonstrated smaller changes in IC(50) and B(0) with increasing sheep urine or cattle urine concentrations as compared to clones 2E10 or 3H5 and, thus, was selected for further development. The IC(50) for all of the antibodies showed exponential increases with increasing organic solvents concentrations, making it desirable to minimize solvent levels. In conclusion, a sensitive, specific zilpaterol monoclonal antibody-based ELISA has been developed that can serve as a rapid screening assay.     

磺胺二甲氧嘧啶单克隆抗体的制备及其免疫学特性鉴定

用重氮化法将SDM(磺胺二甲氧嘧啶)偶联于载体蛋白BSA和OVA,合成免疫原BSA-SDM和包被原OVA-SDM,并用紫外扫描(UV)、SDS-PAGE进行鉴定;用BSA-SDM免疫BALB/C小鼠,间接ELISA和阻断ELISA选择细胞融合备用鼠;应用杂交瘤技术建立分泌SDM mAb细胞株,用体内诱生腹水法制备SDM mAb;对SDM mAb的效价、亲和性、敏感性和特异性等免疫学特性进行鉴定。结果表明,BSA-SDM人工抗原制备成功,分子结合比约为1∶12.1;筛选出1B43、D9、4E1共3株敏感特异的杂交瘤细胞,间接ELISA效价细胞培养上清分别为1∶3.2×102、1∶5.12×102、1∶8.1×102,腹水分别为1∶2.56×105、1∶2.56×1051、∶5.12×105,4E1亲和常数(Ka)为1.25×1010L/mol;4E1株对SDM的IC50为16.64ng/ml,与磺胺-6-甲氧嘧啶交叉反应率为5%,与其他磺胺类药物无交叉反应性。本试验获得了抗SDM高价、敏感、特异的mAb,可用于SDM残留检测的免疫学试验。     

Production of monoclonal antibody for the detection of meat and bone meal in animal feed

For the detection of prohibited meat and bone meal (MBM) in animal feed, monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) were raised against heat-stable h-caldesmon purified from bovine intestinal smooth muscle. The obtained hybridoma cells were screened against extracts of the bovine MBM and heat-treated smooth muscle, and MAb 5E12 was identified as having the best performance. Antibody 5E12 did not react with animal feed, milk product, plant proteins, and other ingredients used for commercial animal feed except for the gelatin. This antibody diluted to 100-fold was able to detect MBM mixed in animal feed at 0.05% in an ELISA, and it showed strong affinity toward bovine smooth muscle autoclaved at 130 degrees C. Therefore, this antibody can be used in the ELISA system for field testing of the presence of MBM in animal feed.     

Determination of ractopamine in cattle and sheep urine samples using an optical biosensor analysis: comparative study with HPLC and ELISA

A biosensor method, using the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) principle, was developed for the determination of ractopamine in cattle and sheep urine. A monoclonal antibody was used to compete with ractopamine in the sample and ractopamine immobilized on the sensor chip. Addition of bovine serum albumin (BSA, 1 mg/mL) as an antibody stabilizer to the incubation buffer was required to achieve a stable biosensor response throughout each sample set. The calibration curve gave a mean IC(50) of 4.7 +/- 0.21 ng/mL (n = 7). Over sample concentrations from 2.5 to 10 ng/mL recoveries were typically approximately 100-110%, whereas inter- and intra-assay reproducibilities (% CV) were usually less than 10 and 6%, respectively. Comparison of biosensor results with results obtained from high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) using enzyme-hydrolyzed urine (to convert ractopamine conjugates to free ractopamine) gave correlation coefficients of 0.94 for sheep and 0.86 for cattle. Slopes of the lines, with zero intercepts, equaled 0.80 for sheep and 0.74 for cattle. For untreated (nonhydrolyzed) urine samples, the correlations between biosensor and HPLC results were 0.95 for sheep and 0.72 for cattle with slopes of 1.18 (sheep) and 1.69 (cattle). The slopes greater than unity indicate that the biosensor responded to ractopamine metabolites in addition to free ractopamine. The biosensor assay is an excellent analytical tool to screen ractopamine residues in sheep or cattle urine, and the results should be extendible to other species with suitable validation.     

Development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for residue analysis of the fungicide azoxystrobin in agricultural products

A direct competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (dc-ELISA) was developed for residue analysis of azoxystrobin in garden crops, for which the maximum residue limits (MRLs) are 0.5-50 mg/kg in Japan. For hapten synthesis, an ethyl carboxyl group was introduced to the 4-position of the 2-cyanophenoxy group in azoxystrobin, and its cyano group was changed to a methyl group. An anti-azoxystrobin monoclonal antibody was prepared from mice immunized with hapten-keyhole limpet hemocyanin conjugate. The dc-ELISA using prepared antibody showed 50-250-fold higher sensitivity compared to the MRLs. The working range of the dc-ELISA was 10-200 ng/mL. The dc-ELISA showed high specificity to azoxystrobin. When methanol extracts from nine kinds of garden crops spiked with azoxystrobin ranging near the MRLs were analyzed, the determined results by the dc-ELISA agreed well with the results of their controls. In addition, azoxystrobin spiked in garden crops homogenates was satisfactorily extracted by methanol solution and easily analyzed. The recovery rate of dc-ELISA was 96-109% and correlated well with the results obtained by HPLC analysis.     

抗链霉素单克隆抗体杂交瘤细胞株的建立及其免疫学特性鉴定

用EDC一步法和戊二醛法将SM偶联于载体蛋白牛血清白蛋白(BSA)和OVA,合成免疫原BSA-SM和包被原OVA-SM。用紫外线扫描、SDS-PAGE进行鉴定;用BSA-SM免疫BALB/C小鼠,用杂交瘤技术建立分泌SM mAb的细胞株3F9-C4;对SM mAb的效价、亲和性、敏感性和特异性等免疫学特性进行鉴定。结果表明,BSA-SM人工抗原分子结合比为1∶25;筛选出3F9-C4敏感特异的杂交瘤细胞1株,间接ELISA测定细胞培养上清,效价为1∶3.2×102,同种型为IgG2a/κ;腹水的亲和常数(Ka)为8.4×1011L/mol;IC50为8.99μg/L,与双氢链霉素交叉反应为109.6%,与其他SM结构相似物和功能近似物无交叉反应性。本试验获得了抗SM高价、敏感、特异的mAb,可用于SM的残留检测。     

Monoclonal-based ELISA for the identification of herbicidal cyclohexanedione analogues that inhibit graminaceous acetyl coenzyme-A carboxylase

Cyclohexanediones are one of four known structural classes of herbicides that inhibit graminaceous acetyl coenzyme-A carboxylase (ACCase; EC 6.4.1.2). Five monoclonal antibodies were raised against cyclohexanediones conjugated to bovine serum albumin. Cross-reactivity studies using a homologous competitive indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ciELISA) against 24 cyclohexanedione analogues revealed that two monoclonal antibodies (mAb A and mAb B) could segregate the analogues into active and inactive ACCase inhibitors on the basis of the analogue concentration required to inhibit 50% of antibody binding to the coating conjugate (IC(50)). Both mAb A and mAb B were also found to cross-react with various members of the indolizidinedione structural class of ACCase inhibitors in ciELISA, suggesting that both cyclohexanediones and indolizidinediones possess features recognized by monoclonal antibodies important for the inhibition of ACCase activity. In conclusion, pharmacophore-specific antibodies may be potentially valuable screening tools for the identification of new lead chemistries in a pesticide discovery program.     

Identification of methanol-soluble compounds in sesame and evaluation of antioxidant potential of its lignans

The methanol extract of sesame (Sesamum indicum) seeds was fractionated and purified with the assistance of conventional column chromatography to afford 29 compounds including seven furofuran lignans. Among these isolates, (+)-samin (1) was obtained from the natural source for the first time. In addition, (-)-asarinin (30) and sesamol (31) were generated by oxidative derivation from (+)-sesamolin (2) and (+)-sesamin (3), two abundant lignans found in sesame seeds. To evaluate their in vitro antioxidant potential, the seven isolated lignans (1-7) and the two derivatives (30 and 31) were examined for the scavenging activities on DPPH free radicals and superoxide anions. Moreover, the capability of chelating ferrous ions and reducing power of these sesame lignans were also measured. The results suggest that, besides the well-known sesamolin and sesamin, the minor sesame lignans (+)-(7S,8'R,8R)-acuminatolide (5), (-)-piperitol (6), and (+)-pinoresinol (7) are also adequate active ingredients and may be potential sources for nutritional and pharmacological utilization.