Abstract
α-Tocopherol was identified as the main antioxidant in hexane extracts of leaves of sixteen Mediterranean plant species. The α-tocopherol content was determined by a two-step procedure involving column and gas chromatography with α-tocopherol acetate as internal standard. The tocopherol content of the extracts was in the range of 0.0–4.7%, and that of the dry leaves was 0–846 ppm. The highest α-tocopherol content was found in the leaves of a Mediterranean oak,Quercus ilex. The antioxidative activity, which was previously investigated, was correlated with the α-tocopherol content. Correlation coefficients were 0.947 and 0.904 for extracts and leaves, respectively.
References
Chipault, J.R., G.R. Mizuno, J.M. Hawkins and W.O. Lundberg,Food Res. 17:46 (1952).
Wu, J.W., M.H. Lee, C-T. Ho and S.S. Chang,J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc. 59:339 (1982).
Inatani, I., N. Nakatani, H. Fuwa and H. Seto,Agric. Biol. Chem. 46:1661 (1982).
Houlihan, C.T., C-T. Ho and S.S. Chang,J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc. 61:1036 (1984).
Houlihan, C.T., C-T. Ho and S.S. Chang, Ibid.:96 (1985).
Osawa, T., and M. Namiki,J. Agric. Food Chem. 33:777 (1985).
Valenzuela, A., S. Nieto, B.K. Cassels and H. Speisky,J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc. 68:935 (1991).
Chevolleau, S., J-F. Mallet, E. Ucciani, J. Gamisans and M. Gruber, Ibid.:1269 (1992).
Taga, M.S., E.E. Miller and D.E. Pratt, Ibid.:928 (1984).
Pratt, D.E., and E.E. Miller, Ibid.:1064 (1984).
Scheppele, S.E., R.K. Mitchum, C.J. Rudolph, K.F. Kinneberg and G.V. Odell,Lipids 7:287 (1972).
Matsuo, M., and S. Urano,Tetrahedron 32:229 (1976).
Brownstein, S., G.W. Burton, L. Hughes and K.U. Ingold,J. Org. Chem. 54:560 (1989).
Soll, J., M. Kemmerling and G. Schultz,Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 204:544 (1980).
Booth, V.H.,Phytochemistry 2:21 (1963).
Gapor, A., A. Kato and A.S.H. Ong,J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc. 63:330 (1986).
Etman-Gervais, C.,C.R. Acad. Sci. Paris 282 D:1171 (1976).
Tan, B.,J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc. 66:770 (1989).
Speek, A.J., J. Schriver and H.P. Schreurs,J. Food Sci. 50:121 (1985).
Montgomery, D.C., and E.A. Peck,Introduction to Linear Regression Analysis, John Wiley and Sons, 1982, pp. 38–45.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
About this article
Cite this article
Chevolleau, S., Mallet, J.F., Debal, A. et al. Antioxidant activity of mediterranean plant leaves: Occurrence and antioxidative importance of α-tocopherol. J Am Oil Chem Soc 70, 807–809 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02542606
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02542606