Protection against nitric oxide toxicity by tea

It is found that green tea and black tea are able to protect against nitric oxide (NO(*)) toxicity in several ways. Both green tea and black tea scavenge NO(*) and peroxynitrite, inhibit the excessive production of NO(*) by the inducible form of nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and suppress the LPS-mediated induction of iNOS. The NO(*) scavenging activity of tea was less than that of red wine. The high activity found in the polyphenol fraction of black tea (BTP) could not be explained by the mixed theaflavin fraction (MTF) or catechins [epicatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)], which were tested separately. Synergistic effects between the compounds, or the presence of a potent, unidentified NO(*) scavenger, may explain the high activity of BTP. The peroxynitrite scavenging of tea was comparable to that of red wine. The main activity was found in the polyphenol fraction. MTF and the catechins were found to be potent peroxynitrite scavengers. Tea and tea components were effective inhibitors of iNOS. Of the tea components tested, only MTF had an activity higher than that of the tea powders. The polyphenol fractions of tea were much more active than the tea powders in suppressing the induction of iNOS. On the basis of its abundance and activity, EGCG was the most active inhibitor. The protective effect of tea on NO(*) toxicity is discussed in relation to the beneficial effect of flavonoid intake on the occurrence of cardiovascular heart disease.     

Stopped-flow kinetic study of the aroxyl radical-scavenging action of catechins and vitamin C in ethanol and micellar solutions

Kinetic study of the aroxyl radical-scavenging action of catechins (epicatechin (EC), epicatechin gallate (ECG), epigallocatechin (EGC), and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)) and related compounds (methyl gallate (MG), 4-methylcatechol (MC), and 5-methoxyresorcinol (MR)) has been performed. The second-order rate constant ( k s) for the reaction of these antioxidants with aroxyl radical has been measured in ethanol and aqueous Triton X-100 micellar solution (5.0 wt %). The k s values decreased in the order of EGCG > EGC > MC > ECG > EC > MG > MR in ethanol, indicating that the reactivity of the OH groups in catechins decreased in the order of pyrogallol B-ring > catechol B-ring > gallate G-ring > resorcinol A-ring. The structure-activity relationship in the free radical-scavenging reaction by catechins has been clarified by the detailed analyses of the pH dependence of k s values. From the results, the p K a values have been determined for catechins. The monoanion form at catechol B- and resorcinol A-rings and dianion form at pyrogallol B- and gallate G-rings show the highest activity for free radical scavenging. It was found that the free radical-scavenging activities of catechins are 3.2-13 times larger than that of vitamin C at pH 7.0.     

Inhibitory effects of plant-derived flavonoids and phenolic acids on malonaldehyde formation from ethyl arachidonate

The antioxidant activities of naturally occurring plant compounds were measured in a lipid peroxidation system consisting of ethyl arachidonate and Fenton's reagent. Inhibitory effects of 24 plant-derived flavonoids and 5 phenolic acids on malonaldehyde (MA) formation from ethyl arachidonate were examined using gas chromatography (GC) with a nitrogen-phosphorus detector (NPD). Luteolin, which showed the strongest antioxidant activity, inhibited MA formation by 94% and 97% at the levels of 0.5 and 1.0 mM, respectively. The antioxidant activities of the flavones and flavonols decreased in the following order: luteolin > rhamnetin > fisetin > kaempferol > morin > quercetin. Among the flavanones tested, hesperitin, taxifolin, and naringenin exhibited appreciable antioxidant activities (61-84%) at the 1.0 mM level. The inhibitory effect of epigallocatechin gallate (82.5% at the 1.0 mM level) was the strongest among the flavan-3-ols tested. Ferulic acid had the most potent antioxidant activity (74.6% at the 1.0 mM level) of the phenolic acids tested.     

Synthesis, structure analyses, and characterization of novel epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) glycosides using the glucansucrase from Leuconostoc mesenteroides B-1299CB

In this study, three epigallocatechin gallate glycosides were synthesized by the acceptor reaction of a glucansucrase produced by Leuconostoc mesenteroides B-1299CB with epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and sucrose. Each of these glycosides was then purified, and the structures were assigned as follows: epigallocatechin gallate 7-O-alpha-D-glucopyranoside (EGCG-G1); epigallocatechin gallate 4'-O-alpha-D-glucopyranoside (EGCG-G1'); and epigallocatechin gallate 7,4'-O-alpha-D-glucopyranoside (EGCG-G2). One of these compounds (EGCG-G1) was a novel compound. The EGCG glycosides exhibited similar or slower antioxidant effects, depending on their structures (EGCG > or = EGCG-G1 > EGCG-G1' > EGCG-G2), and also manifested a higher degree of browning resistance than was previously noted in EGCG. Also, EGCG-G1, EGCG-G1', and EGCG-G2 were 49, 55, and 114 times as water soluble, respectively, as EGCG.     

Tea enhances insulin activity

The most widely known health benefits of tea relate to the polyphenols as the principal active ingredients in protection against oxidative damage and in antibacterial, antiviral, anticarcinogenic, and antimutagenic activities, but polyphenols in tea may also increase insulin activity. The objective of this study was to determine the insulin-enhancing properties of tea and its components. Tea, as normally consumed, was shown to increase insulin activity >15-fold in vitro in an epididymal fat cell assay. Black, green, and oolong teas but not herbal teas, which are not teas in the traditional sense because they do not contain leaves of Camellia senensis, were all shown to increase insulin activity. High-performance liquid chromatography fractionation of tea extracts utilizing a Waters SymmetryPrep C18 column showed that the majority of the insulin-potentiating activity for green and oolong teas was due to epigallocatechin gallate. For black tea, the activity was present in several regions of the chromatogram corresponding to, in addition to epigallocatechin gallate, tannins, theaflavins, and other undefined compounds. Several known compounds found in tea were shown to enhance insulin with the greatest activity due to epigallocatechin gallate followed by epicatechin gallate, tannins, and theaflavins. Caffeine, catechin, and epicatechin displayed insignificant insulin-enhancing activities. Addition of lemon to the tea did not affect the insulin-potentiating activity. Addition of 5 g of 2% milk per cup decreased the insulin-potentiating activity one-third, and addition of 50 g of milk per cup decreased the insulin-potentiating activity approximately 90%. Nondairy creamers and soy milk also decreased the insulin-enhancing activity. These data demonstrate that tea contains in vitro insulin-enhancing activity and the predominant active ingredient is epigallocatechin gallate.     

Characterization of the constituents and antioxidant activity of Brazilian green tea (Camellia sinensis var. assamica IAC-259 cultivar) extracts

Freeze-dried extracts from Camellia sinensis var. assamica IAC-259 cultivar named Brazilian green tea were prepared by hot water and ultrasound-assisted extractions using leaves harvested in spring and summer. Their caffeine and catechin contents were measured by high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector. The antioxidant activity of the major green tea compounds and Brazilian green tea extracts was evaluated using a 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The levels of caffeine were higher in the summer samples (p < 0.05); otherwise, there were no significant variations related to the catechin contents between spring and summer samples. The sonication method using water/acetone as solvent had a high efficiency to extract not only epigallocatechin gallate but also epicatechin gallate (p < 0.05). Antioxidant activities of the Brazilian green tea extracts were not significantly different among seasons and extraction systems. The antioxidant data (IC50) of the Brazilian green tea extracts showed a significant correlation with their epigallocatechin gallate and epicatechin gallate contents (p < 0.05).     

Phenolic constituents of shea (Vitellaria paradoxa) kernels

Analysis of the phenolic constituents of shea (Vitellaria paradoxa) kernels by LC-MS revealed eight catechin compounds-gallic acid, catechin, epicatechin, epicatechin gallate, gallocatechin, epigallocatechin, gallocatechin gallate, and epigallocatechin gallate-as well as quercetin and trans-cinnamic acid. The mean kernel content of the eight catechin compounds was 4000 ppm (0.4% of kernel dry weight), with a 2100-9500 ppm range. Comparison of the profiles of the six major catechins from 40 Vitellaria provenances from 10 African countries showed that the relative proportions of these compounds varied from region to region. Gallic acid was the major phenolic compound, comprising an average of 27% of the measured total phenols and exceeding 70% in some populations. Colorimetric analysis (101 samples) of total polyphenols extracted from shea butter into hexane gave an average of 97 ppm, with the values for different provenances varying between 62 and 135 ppm of total polyphenols.     

Polyphenol-beta-casein complexes at the air/water interface and in solution: effects of polyphenol structure

The interactions between proteins and plant polyphenols are responsible for astringency and haze formation in beverages and may participate in foam stabilization. The effect of phenolic compounds with different structures, namely, catechin (C), epicatechin (Ec), epigallocatechin (Egc), epicatechin gallate (EcG), and epigallocatechin gallate (EgcG), on the surface properties at the air/liquid interface of beta-casein, chosen as model protein, were monitored by tensiometry and ellipsometry. The formation of complexes in the bulk phase was measured by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Adsorption of polyphenols from pure solution was not observed. Surface pressure, surface concentration, and dilational modulus of the protein adsorption layer were greatly modified in the presence of galloylated flavanol monomers (EcG and EgcG) but not of lower molecular weight polyphenols (<306 g/mol). The formation of polyphenol-protein aggregates in the bulk, as evidenced by ESI-MS and light scattering experiments, was related to the slowdown of protein adsorption.     

茶叶添加方式对酿造啤酒理化特性及感官品质的影响

在啤酒酿造工艺的煮沸和主发酵阶段分别添加乌龙茶,探讨茶叶不同添加方式对啤酒理化特性、抗氧化能力、啤酒贮存稳定性以及感官特性的影响。结果显示,与未添加茶叶的啤酒产品(对照组CG)相比,在煮沸阶段(煮沸添加组BG)和主发酵阶段(主发酵添加组MG)分别添加0.3g/L的茶叶均提高了酵母发酵速率;添加茶叶的两个茶啤酒产品(煮沸添加组和主发酵添加组)的DPPH自由基清除能力分别提升至82.74%和89.21%、ABTS+自由基清除能力分别提升至41.53%和51.49%、铁离子还原能力分别提升至36.49和43.83 mg/L,且成品茶啤酒贮藏期间的抗老化能力提高;茶啤酒中总酚以及儿茶素(EGC、C、EGCG、EC、GCG、ECG)和咖啡碱(CAF)含量升高,其中,主发酵添加组茶啤酒样品总酚和EGCG含量显著高于对照组和煮沸添加组啤酒(P0.05),分别达到734.40和8.43 mg/L。进一步的感官品评结果显示添加茶叶提高了啤酒产品的茶香气和茶滋味,其中主发酵添加组啤酒的茶香气、茶滋味及酒体协调性最好。由此可知,在啤酒酿造工艺中添加茶叶提高了酵母发酵速率,增强了啤酒中酚类物质含量及其抗氧化和抗老化性能,同时也为啤酒增添了新的茶风味产品。     

Antioxidative phenolic compounds isolated from almond skins (Prunus amygdalus Batsch)

Nine phenolic compounds were isolated from the ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions of almond (Prunus amygdalus) skins. On the basis of NMR data, MS data, and comparison with the literature, these compounds were identified as 3'-O-methylquercetin 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (1); 3'-O-methylquercetin 3-O-beta-D-galactopyranoside (2); 3'-O-methylquercetin 3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranoside (3); kaempferol 3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranoside (4); naringenin 7-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (5); catechin (6); protocatechuic acid (7); vanillic acid (8); and p-hydroxybenzoic acid (9). All of these compounds have been isolated from almond skins for the first time. 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activities for compounds 1-9 were determined. Compounds 6 and 7 show very strong DPPH radical scavenging activity. Compounds 1-3, 5, 8, and 9 show strong activity, whereas compound 4 has very weak activity.     

Free radical scavenging activity of grape seed extract and antioxidants by electron spin resonance spectrometry in an H(2)O(2)/NaOH/DMSO system.

The scavenging effects of grape seed extract (GSE) on free radicals formed in an H(2)O(2)/NaOH/DMSO system were examined using a spin-trapping electron spin resonance (ESR) method and compared with other natural antioxidants, ascorbic acid, dl-alpha-tocopherol, and beta-carotene. GSE reduced greatly the ESR signal intensity of superoxide radical-5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO) adducts. GSE also exhibited weak scavenging activity on hydroxyl radical and a little scavenging activity on methyl radical. Ascorbic acid exhibited strong superoxide and hydroxyl radical scavenging activities, but it increased the amount of methyl radical at high concentration. dl-alpha-Tocopherol reduced the amount of superoxide anion, especially the amount of methyl radical. However, it slightly reduced the amount of hydroxyl radical. beta-Carotene reduced the amount of hydroxyl radical and methyl radical, but it also slightly reduced superoxide anion. In the case of combination use of beta-carotene and dl-alpha-tocopherol, all radical species were suppressed. Combination of GSE and dl-alpha-tocopherol also could reduce all radical species. beta-Carotene and dl-alpha-tocopherol could reduce the methyl radical formation induced by ascorbic acid.     

Evolution of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity during malting

Two barley varieties, Gan4 and Hamelin, were malted to investigate the evolution of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity during malting. The antioxidant activity was evaluated with DPPH radical scavenging activity, ABTS radical cation scavenging activity, reducing power, and metal chelating activity. Results showed that malting had significant influences on individual and total phenolic contents as well as antioxidant activities of two barley varieties. The contents of some phenolic compounds and the antioxidant activities decreased significantly during steeping and the early stages of germination and then increased remarkably during the later stages of germination and subsequent kilning. The most phenolic compounds identified in barley were (+)-catechin and ferulic acid, which both changed significantly during malting. Moreover, results from the Pearson correlation analysis showed that there were good correlations among DPPH radical scavenging activity, ABTS radical cation scavenging activity, reducing power, total phenolic content and sum of individual phenolic contents during malting.     

Effects of structure on radical-scavenging abilities and antioxidative activities of tea polyphenols: NMR analytical approach using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radicals

Tea (Camellia sinensis) leaves contain various antioxidants such as ascorbic acid (1) and polyphenols. This study tries to clarify the molecular mechanisms underlying the antioxidative and radical-scavenging activities of these antioxidants, and the reactivities of each antioxidant have been compared against that of the stable free radical 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH, 2) using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis. Catechol (3) and (+)-taxifolin (4) were oxidized to o-quinone by 2. However, ethyl protocatechuate (5) and quercetin (6) were not oxidized to o-quinone, even though they possess a catechol structure. The radical-scavenging ability of o-dihydroxyl phenolic compounds with a conjugated olefinic double bond (e.g., 6) was superior to that of compounds without this bond (e.g., 4), whereas the ability of o-dihydroxyl phenolic compounds possessing a conjugated carbonyl bond (5) was inferior to that of compounds lacking this bond (3). Vicinal trihydroxyl phenolic compounds with a conjugated olefinic double bond [e.g., myricetin (7)] had an inferior scavenging ability as compared with compounds lacking this bond [e.g., pyrogallol (8)], but 7 was a better scavenger than compounds with a conjugated carbonyl double bond [e.g., ethyl gallate (9)]. In addition, vicinal trihydroxyl phenolic compounds (e.g., 9) were superior to o-dihydroxyl phenolic compounds (e.g., 6). Finally, 1 scavenged radicals more quickly than 8.     

Evaluation of antioxidant activity and inhibitory effect on nitric oxide production of some common vegetables

The objectives of this study were to study the antioxidant activities and nitric oxide (NO) scavenging effects of vegetables in vitro systems and to study the inhibitory effects of vegetables on the NO production and NO-induced DNA damage in RAW 264.7 macrophage. The results indicated that water extracts from Indian lotus, Jew's ear, shiitake, eggplant, and winter mushroom showed stronger antioxidant activity and free-radical-scavenging ability than that of other vegetable extracts. The scavenging effects of vegetable extracts on NO derived from sodium nitroprusside (SNP) were in decreasing order of water spinach > Indian lotus > eggplant and garland chrysanthemum. In the macrophage model system, the water extracts from fresh daylily flower, sponge gourd, pea sprout, and eggplant exhibited over 80% inhibition on NO generation stimulated by lipopolysaccharide. The extract from fresh daylily flower that expressed the strongest inhibition on NO production was attributed to the ability to reduce the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) induction. However, the extracts from pea sprout and eggplant suppressed the NO production by scavenging on NO and inactivating toward iNOS enzyme. In addition, the water extracts from fresh daylily flower, sponge gourd, pea sprout, and eggplant also showed over 40% inhibitory effect on DNA damage induced by SNP in RAW 264.7 macrophage. The data also indicated that eggplant and pea sprout extracts contained higher total phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, and ascorbic acids and appeared to be responsible for their antioxidant activities and scavenging effects on NO derived from SNP.     

Determination of antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Rumex crispus L. extracts

The antioxidant activities, reducing powers, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activities, amount of total phenolic compounds, and antimicrobial activities of ether, ethanol, and hot water extracts of the leaves and seeds of Rumex crispus L. were studied. The antioxidant activities of extracts increase with increasing amount of extracts (50-150 microg). However, the water extracts of both the leaves and seeds have shown the highest antioxidant activities. Thus, addition of 75 microg of each of the above extracts to the linoleic acid emulsion caused the inhibition of peroxide formation by 96 and 94%, respectively. Although the antioxidant activity of the ethanol extract of seed was lower than the water extract, the difference between these was not statistically significant, P > 0.05. Unlike the other extracts, 75 microg of the ether extract of seeds was unable to show statistically significant antioxidant activity, P > 0.05 (between this extract and control in that there is no extract in the test sample). Among all of the extracts, the highest amount of total phenolic compound was found in the ethanol extract of seeds, whereas the lowest amount was found in the ether extract of seeds. Like phenolic compounds, the highest reducing power and the highest DPPH scavenging activity were found in the ethanol extract of seeds. However, the reducing activity of the ethanol extract of seeds was approximately 40% that of ascorbic acid, whereas in the presence of 400 microg of water and ethanol extracts of seeds scavenging activities were about 85 and 90%, respectively. There were statistically significant correlations between amount of phenolic compounds and reducing power and between amount of phenolic compounds and percent DPPH scavenging activities (r = 0.99, P < 0.01, and r = 0.864, P < 0.05, respectively) and also between reducing powers and percent DPPH scavenging activities (r = 0.892, P < 0.05). The ether extracts of both the leaves and seeds and ethanol extract of leaves had shown antimicrobial activities on Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis. However, none of the water extracts showed antimicrobial activity on the studied microorganisms.     

Phenolic compound concentration and antioxidant activities of edible and medicinal mushrooms from Korea

A study was conducted to determine the content of phenolic compounds and the antioxidative activity of five edible and five medicinal mushrooms commonly cultivated in Korea. Phenolic compounds were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography, and antioxidant activity was evaluated by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity and superoxide dismutase activity. A total of 28 phenolic compounds were detected in the mushrooms studied. The average total concentration of phenolic compounds was 326 microg/g, the average being of 174 microg/g in edible mushrooms and 477 microg/g in medicinal mushrooms. The average total flavonoids concentration was 49 microg/g, with averages of 22 and 76 microg/g in edible and medicinal mushrooms, respectively. The DPPH radical scavenging activities ranged between 15 (Pleurotus eryngii) and 70% (Ganoderma lucidum) when reaction time was for 1 min. When reaction time was 30 min, the values ranged between 5 (Pleurotus eryngii) and 78% (Agaricus bisporus). The SOD activity averaged 28% among the 10 mushroom species, averages for edible and medicinal mushrooms being comparable. DPPH activities was significantly correlated (p < 0.01) with total content of phenolic compounds in edible mushrooms, while in medicinal mushrooms there was a significant correlation (p < 0.01) between SOD activity and total concentration of phenolic compounds. Numerous significant positive correlations were observed between phenolic compounds detected and antioxidative potential.     

Comparison between the radical scavenging activity and antioxidant activity of six distilled and nondistilled mediterranean herbs and aromatic plants

Thirty-six different extracts of six herbs and aromatic plants (fennel, common melilot, milfoil, lavandin cv. Super, spike lavender, and tarragon) were evaluated for their radical scavenging activity by the DPPH*, NBT/hypoxanthine superoxide, and *OH/luminol chemiluminescence methods, and for their antioxidant activity by the beta-carotene blenching test. The total phenolic content was also determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method. The plant material included cultivated plants and their wastes after being distilled for essential oils. Both remarkably high phenolic content and radical scavenging activities were found for the ethyl acetate and dichloromethane fractions among the different plant extracts. In general, the distilled plant material was found to exhibit a higher phenolic content as well as antioxidant and radical scavenging activities than the nondistilled material. Ethyl acetate and dichloromethane extracts, and even some crude extract, of both distilled and nondistilled plants exhibited activities comparable to those of commercial extracts/compounds, thus making it possible to consider some of them as a potential source of antioxidants of natural origin.     

Antioxidant properties of ferulic acid and its related compounds

Antioxidant activity of 24 ferulic acid related compounds together with 6 gallic acid related compounds was evaluated using several different physical systems as well as their radical scavenging activity. The radical scavenging activity on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) decreased in the order caffeic acid > sinapic acid > ferulic acid > ferulic acid esters > p-coumaric acid. In bulk methyl linoleate, test hydroxycinnamic acids and ferulic acid esters showed antioxidant activity in parallel with their radical scavenging activity. In an ethanol-buffer solution of linoleic acid, the activity of test compounds was not always associated with their radical scavenging activity. Ferulic acid was most effective among the tested phenolic acids. Esterification of ferulic acid resulted in increasing activity. The activity of alkyl ferulates was somewhat influenced by the chain length of alcohol moiety. When the inhibitory effects of alkyl ferulates against oxidation of liposome induced by AAPH were tested, hexyl, octyl, and 2-ethyl-1-hexyl ferulates were more active than the other alkyl ferulates. Furthermore, lauryl gallate is most effective among the tested alkyl gallates. These results indicated that not only the radical scavenging activity of antioxidants, but also their affinity with lipid substrates, might be important factors in their activity.     

Suppressive effect of a proanthocyanidin-rich extract from longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) flowers on nitric oxide production in LPS-stimulated macrophage cells

Anthocyanidins found in certain flowers have been shown to act as strong antioxidants in various systems, exhibiting multiple biological actions. The antioxidative effects of water extract and ethanolic extract of longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) flowers were evaluated by radical scavenging activity and compared to those of gallic acid, myricetin, and epigallocatechin gallate. In this study, the suppressive effects of longan flower extracts on nitric oxide and prostaglandin E2 production were investigated using a lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 cell model. Abundant levels of phenolic compounds including flavonoids, condensed tannins, and proanthocyanidins were found in water or ethanolic extracts prepared from dried longan flowers. The antioxidative effect of longan flower extract was similar to the effect exhibited by pure antioxidants. Moreover, longan flower extract showed prominent inhibitory effects on prostaglandin E2 production. Significant concentration-dependent inhibition of nitric oxide production was detected when cells were cotreated with lipopolysaccharide and various concentrations of longan flower extracts. These inhibitory effects were further attributed to suppression of inducible nitric oxide synthase protein expression and not to reduced enzymatic activity. These results suggest that longan flower crude extracts, especially ethanolic extract, have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and the probable mechanism involves inhibition of inflammation by proanthocyanidins. Preliminary observations suggest that longan flower extract, especially alcoholic extract, could be another potential source of natural dietary antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent.     

Effects of extraction solvent mixtures on antioxidant activity evaluation and their extraction capacity and selectivity for free phenolic compounds in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Four kinds of solvent extracts from three Chinese barley varieties (Ken-3, KA4B, and Gan-3) were used to examine the effects of extraction solvent mixtures on antioxidant activity evaluation and their extraction capacity and selectivity for free phenolic compounds in barley through free radical scavenging activity, reducing power and metal chelating activity, and individual and total phenolic contents. Results showed that extraction solvent mixtures had significant impacts on antioxidant activity estimation, as well as different extraction capacity and selectivity for free phenolic compounds in barley. The highest DPPH* and ABTS*+ scavenging activities and reducing power were found in 80% acetone extracts, whereas the strongest *OH scavenging activity, O2*- scavenging activity, and metal chelating activity were found in 80% ethanol, 80% methanol, and water extracts, respectively. Additionally, 80% acetone showed the highest extraction capacity for (+)-catechin and ferulic, caffeic, vanillic, and p-coumaric acids, 80% methanol for (-)-epicatechin and syringic acid, and water for protocatechuic and gallic acids. Furthermore, correlations analysis revealed that TPC, reducing power, DPPH* and ABTS*+ scavenging activities were well positively correlated with each other (p < 0.01). Thus, for routine screening of barley varieties with higher antioxidant activity, 80% acetone was recommended to extract free phenolic compounds from barley. DPPH* scavenging activity and ABTS*+ scavenging activity or reducing power could be used to assess barley antioxidant activity.