초록
The authors isolated four olefinic catechols, commonly referred to as urushiol, from the sap of Korean lacquer tree(Rhus vernicifera STOKES) with stronger antioxidative activities than $\alpha-tocopherol$. The hexane extract with a free radical scavenging activity was purified by silica and ODS gel column chromatography. The active compounds were identified by MS and $^1H-NMR$ as 3-[8'(Z),11'(Z),14'-pentadecatrienyl]catechol, 3-[8'(Z),11'(Z)-pentadecadienyl]catechol, 3-[8'(Z)-pentadecenyl] catechol, and 3-pentadecylcatechol. All of these compounds showed strong free radical scavenging activities on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH) radical, in which 3-pentadecylacatechol exhibited the highest activity ($IC_{50}$: $1.2{\mu}g/ml$). They also showed a significant inhibitory activity on lipid peroxidation ($IC_{50}$: 2.1 - 3.5 ${\mu}g/ml$). The antioxidative activity of 3-pentadecylcatechol on DPPH radical and lipid peroxidation is approximately two times greater than that of $\alpha$-tocopherol. The results suggest that the urushiol derivatices may contribute to the preservative characteristics effective against oxidative stress and could be a good source for industrial applications including a coating material.