Antioxidant and free radical scavenging effects of the tannins of Terminalia catappa L
Lin, C.C.; Hsu, Y.F.; Lin, T.C.
Anticancer Research 21(1a): 237-243
2001
ISSN/ISBN: 0250-7005 PMID: 11299741 Document Number: 526934
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) react with biological molecules and destroy the structure of cells and eventually cause free radical-induced disease such as inflammation and cancer. Previous studies showed that an aqueous extract of T. catappa exhibited superoxide radical scavenger activity and modification of mitomycin C-induced clastogenicity. To investigate the multiple antioxidant effect of the tannin components of T. catappa obtained from Taiwan, their ability to prevent lipid peroxidation, superoxide formation and their free radical scavenging activity were evaluated. The results indicated that all of these components showed potent antioxidant activity. Punicalagin and punicalin were the most abundant components and had the strongest antioxidative effects of this group of tannins.