Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Activity of Stem Bark Extracts from Ulmus davidiana var. japonica

Ulmus davidiana var. japonica is a deciduous tree used in traditional medicine. In this study, we examined the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of extracts and compounds isolated from U. davidiana var. japonica stem barks for development of cosmetic phyto-materials. Phytochemical examination of the stem bark led to the isolation and characterization of three known compounds, (+)-catechin (1), (+)-catechin-7-O-${\beta}$-D-apiofuranoside (2), and procyanidin B3 ((+)-catechin-($4{\alpha}{\to}8$)-(+)-catechin) (3). Their bioactivities including antioxidant (DPPH ree radical scavenging assay) activity, anti-inflammatory (nitric oxide nhibition assay) were evaluated. Most of the crude extracts and isolates indicated significant antioxidant potential compared with BHT and ${\alpha}$-tocopherol as controls. Futhermore, all compounds showed higher inhibitory activities for NO production in Raw 264.7 cells than the L-NMMA using the positive control. Eespecially, (+)-catechin (1) and (+)-catechin-7-O-${\beta}$-D-apiofuranoside (2) which could inhibit more than 90% of the NO production at a concentration of 100 ${\mu}g/m{\ell}$, implying excellent anti-inflammatory activity.