ANTIOXIDANT EFFECTS OF SOME GINGER CONSTITUENTS

The nonvolatile fraction of the dichloromethane extract of ginger rhiz omes exhibited a strong antioxidative activity using linoleic acid as the substrate in ethanol-phosphate buffer solution. The fraction was p urified by chromatographic techniques to provide five gingerol related compounds and eight diarylheptanoids. Among them, 12 compounds exhibi ted higher activity than alpha-tocopherol. The activity was probably d ependent upon side chain structures and substitution patterns on the b enzene ring.