title: Antioxidant activity of oligomeric acylphloroglucinols from Myrtus communis L.
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.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Biologia Sperimentale, Sezione Patologia Sperimentale, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, SS 554, Km 4.5, 09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deiana
authors.forename: Viviana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Casu
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Corona
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Appendino
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ballero
authors.forename: M Assunta
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Dessì
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005609:Free Radicals; D006801:Humans; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D031651:Myrtus / Q000737:chemistry; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010696:Phloroglucinol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D005609:Free Radicals; C455138:semimyrtucommulone; D010696:Phloroglucinol