Antioxidative and Neuroprotective Constituents Isolated from Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten

Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten (Cactaceae) is widely cultivated in Jeju Island (South Korea) for use in the manufacture of health foods such as tea, jam and juice. Its fruit and stem have been traditionally used as oriental folk medicine to treat diabetes, hypertension, asthma, burns, edema and indigestion. During the search for naturally occurring antioxidative neuroprotective agents, it was found that the ethyl acetate fraction of the stems and fruits of Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten exhibited potent antioxidant effect. Using a chromatographic fractionation method, several constituents were isolated from this fraction. Among isolates, KYS50182 showed the most potent in vitro and in vivo neuroprotective activities, suggesting that the flavonoid can serve as a lead structure for the development of neuroprotective agents by providing neuroprotection against oxidative and focal ischemic neuronal injuries.