Abstract
Antioxidant activity in edible fruits is an important characteristic in the choice of fruits for human consumption, and has profound influence on nutrition and health. Two pharmacologically active triterpenoids, β-sitosterol and lupeol, and the powerful flavan-3-ol antioxidant, (+)-catechin, were isolated from the edible fruits of Harpephyllum caffrum while a mixture of cardanols, an alkyl p-coumaric acid ester, and (+)-catechin were isolated from the stem bark. This is the first report of these compounds being isolated from this plant. The antioxidant capacity of (+)-catechin was higher than the other isolated compounds as well as the known antioxidant, ascorbic acid.
Keywords:
(+)-catechin; Harpephyllum caffrum; antioxidant activity; cardanol; coumarate; medicinal value.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Anacardiaceae / chemistry*
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Antioxidants / chemistry
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Antioxidants / isolation & purification*
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Coumaric Acids / isolation & purification
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Coumaric Acids / pharmacology
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Flavonoids / chemistry
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Flavonoids / isolation & purification
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Flavonoids / pharmacology
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Fruit / chemistry
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Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
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Molecular Structure
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Pentacyclic Triterpenes / isolation & purification
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Pentacyclic Triterpenes / pharmacology
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Phenols / chemistry
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Phenols / isolation & purification*
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Phenols / pharmacology*
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Plant Bark / chemistry
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Plants, Medicinal / chemistry
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Propionates
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Sitosterols / isolation & purification
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Sitosterols / pharmacology
Substances
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Antioxidants
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Coumaric Acids
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Flavonoids
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Pentacyclic Triterpenes
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Phenols
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Propionates
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Sitosterols
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flavan-3-ol
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gamma-sitosterol
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p-coumaric acid
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lupeol