Antioxidative and Antimicrobial Effects of Nut Species

Nut류의 항산화 및 항균효과

It has been known that diseases related with aging or cancer result, at least in part, from free radicals, and antioxidants may reduce or prevent the abnormalities associated with free radical formation via its scavenging action. Thus, this study was carried out to investigate the antioxidative and antimicrobial activities of nut species for the purpose of developing antioxidant from natural products. Antioxidant activities of four kinds of nuts such as chestnut, groundnut, walnut and acorn were examined by measuring the radical scavenging effect on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical. The extracts from chestnut hull and acorn barnyard millet showed strong antioxidative activities among 10 samples tested. Because of their highest antioxidative activity among 10 samples, radical scavenging effects of 4 different extract compartments (Hexane, EtOAc, BuOH and $H_2O$ extracts) from chestnut hull and acorn barnyard millet, were further examined by DPPH method. EtOAc and BuOH extracts exhibited antioxidative activities similar to those of natural, tocopherol or synthetic antioxidants, BHA. These findings demonstrates that major fraction of the antioxidative activity of chestnut hull or acorn barnyard millet was the EtOAc and BuOH extract compartments. However, antimicrobial activities against food-related bacteria and yeasts was relatively weak.