Free radical scavenging active components from Cedrus deodara

An activity-directed fractionation and purification process was used to ide ntify the antioxidant components of Cedrus deodara. Dried heartwood powder of C. deodara was first defatted with petroleum ether and then extracted wi th chloroform. The chloroform extract showed strong antioxidant activity on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical. This fraction was then subjected to separation and purification using silica gel column chromatogr aphy. Three compounds with potent antioxidant activity were isolated in sig nificant yields and identified by spectroscopic methods (H-1 NMR, C-13 NMR, IR, and MS). They were identified as (-)-matairesinol, (-)-nortrachelogeni n, and a dibenzylbutyrolactollignan (4,4',9-trihydroxy-3,3'-dimethoxy-9,9'- epoxylignan). This is the first report of the occurrence of these compounds in C. deodara.