Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity of Volatile Oils from Japanese Edible Wild Plants (Diplazium Squamigerum, Laportea Macrostachya, and Vitis Coignetiae

The volatile oils from the Japanese wild edible plants of Diplazium squamigerum, Laportea macrostachya, and Vitis coignetiae were investigated by capillary gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The major components of D. squamigerum oil were linalool (28.7%), palmitic acid (13.9%), and ...-terpineol (5.5%); of L. macrostachya oil were palmitic acid (14.1%), nonanal (9.2%), and linoleic acid (8.9%); and of V. coignetiae oil were nonanal (13.2%), geraniol (11.6%), and phenylacetaldehyde (8.5%). These oils were assayed to determine their antioxidant activity by the oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay using fluorescein as the fluorescent probe. The oxygen radical absorbance capacity values varied from 1255 ± 393 trolox equivalents (...mol TE/g) for D. squamigerum oil, from 514 ± 65 ...mol TE/g for L. macrostachya oil, and from 911 ± 118 ...mol TE/g for V. coignetiae oil. The difference in the antioxidant activities among D. squamigerum oil, L. macrostachya oil, and V. coignetiae oil were attributed to their different monoterpene alcohol contents and composition in the samples. These data provided evidence that the volatile oil from Japanese edible plants is a good dietary source of antioxidants. (ProQuest: ... denotes formulae/symbols omitted.)