• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.32-40
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• 2003

Antimicrobial and antioxidative activities of heartwood extractives of domestic species were investigated to develop a natural fungicide or preservative. Four lignan derivatives and one taxane were isolated from heartwood of Taxus cuspidata which has been selected due to its high antioxidative activity among the tested species. The chemical structures were identified as : taxusin, isolariciresinol (4, 4', 9, 9'-tetrahydroxy-3', 5-dimethoxy-2, 7'-cyclolignan), lariciresinol (4, 4', 9-trihydroxy-3, 3'-dimethoxy-7, 9'-epoxylignan), taxiresinol (3, 4, 4', 9-tetrahydroxy-3'-methoxy-7, 9'-epoxylignan) and isotaxiresinol (3', 4, 4', 9, 9'-pentahydroxy- 5-methoxy-2, 7'-cyclolignan) on the basis of spectroscopic data and their chemical correlations. According to the results of free radical scavenging activity, isolariciresinol, lariciresinol and isotaxiresinol showed higher radical scavenging activity than those of 𝛼-tocopherol and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), the strongest natural and synthetic antioxidants. However, taxusin did not show any free radical scavenging activity. In this regard, it could inferred that high antioxidative activity of extractives of T. cuspidata was derived from isolariciresinol, lariciresinol and isotaxiresinol.