title: Lignans and other constituents of the fruits of Euterpe oleracea (Acai) with antioxidant and cytoprotective activities.
abstract: Using a hydroxyl radical scavenging assay, bioactivity-guided fractionation of a methanol-soluble extract of the fruits of Euterpe oleracea (acai) led to the isolation of 22 compounds of previously known structure. Altogether, 14 of these isolates were found to be active in an in vitro hydroxyl radical scavenging assay and seven of these isolates in a 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging assay. Dihydroconiferyl alcohol, (+)-lariciresinol, (+)-pinoresinol, (+)-syringaresinol, and protocatechuic acid methyl ester exhibited cytoprotective activity in cultured MCF-7 cells stressed by H2O2. Lignans have not been previously reported as constituents of this species and were found to be representative of the aryltetrahydronaphthalene, dihydrobenzofuran, furofuran, 8-O-4'-neolignan, and tetrahydrofuran structural types.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, 500 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
authors.forename: Young-Won
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Chin
authors.forename: Hee-Byung
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Chai
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.forename: A Douglas
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Kinghorn
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D028023:Arecaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D002460:Cell Line; D019610:Cytoprotection; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry*; D017665:Hydroxyl Radical; D017705:Lignans / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D017705:Lignans; D010936:Plant Extracts; D017665:Hydroxyl Radical