Authors
Haraguchi H. Saito T. Ishikawa H. Date H. Kataoka S. Tamura Y. Mizutani
K.
Institution
Faculty of Engineering, Fukuyama University, Japan.
Title
Antiperoxidative components in Thymus
vulgaris.
Source
Planta Medica. 62(3):217-21, 1996 Jun.
Abstract
A biphenyl compound,
3,4,3',4'-tetrahydroxy-5,5'-diisopropyl-2,2'-dimethylbiphenyl (1), and a
flavonoid, eriodicytol (2), were isolated as antioxidative
components from the leaves of Thymus vulgaris by
bioassay-directed fractionation. These compounds inhibited superoxide anion
production in the xanthine/xanthine oxidase system. Mitochondrial and
microsomal lipid peroxidation induced by Fe(III)-ADP/NADH or
Fe(III)-ADP/NADPH were also inhibited by these compounds. Compound 1 is an
extremely potent antioxidant; complete inhibition was observed at 1 microM
against both microsomal and mitochondrial peroxidation. Furthermore, compound
1 protected red cells against oxidative hemolysis. These phenolic compounds
were shown to be effective to protect biological systems against various
oxidative stresses.