• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.159-167
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• 2008

This study was carried out to investigate the potential promise of Chamaecyparis obtusa oil as a natural antioxidant. C. obtusa oil and its fractions were subjected to screening for their antioxidant activities by using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method and ammonium thiocyanate method. In the first case, $IC_{50}$ value of the C. obtusa oil was determined as $40{\mu}{\ell}/m{\ell}$. At $0.5{\mu}{\ell}/m{\ell}$ concentration level, free radical scavenging effect of fraction G determined as 66.94% was the highest among the fractions of C. obtusa oil. In the ammonium thiocyanate method, essential oil of C. obtusa and its fraction C, D, and E showed activities of 72.0%, 71.2%, 71.9% and 71.1%, respectively. Fraction G, most active fraction, was mainly consisted of $\alpha$-terpineol, elemol, widdrol and $\alpha$-cadinol.