• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.78-86
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• 2009

In this study 2 cadalene homologues - 3,7-dimethoxycadalene and 7-hydroxycadalene-5,8-quinone (keyakinone A)-were further identified from ethanol extracts of Zelkova serrata wood, except 7-hydroxy-3-methoxycadalene. Two biological activities-scavenging activity of hydroxy radical and cell toxicity by MTT assay-were measured with 7-hydroxy-3-methoxycadalene. The scavenging activity of hydroxyl radical of the compound was excellent and increased with its concentration. At 100 ppm hydroxyl radicals were removed completely. However, MTT assay revealed that 7-hydroxy-3-methoxycadalene showed critical toxicity to the cells. When 1 ppm of the compound was treated to the cells, cell viability was reached up to 90%, while it was reduced to 22% after treatment of 9 ppm. In 4 different Ulmaceae species, such as Ulmus davidiana, Ulmus parvifolia, Ulmus macrocarpa, Ulmus macrophylla, 7-hydroxy-3-methoxycadalene was not found at all. Instead, 7-hydroxycadalene (Mw 214), in which methoxyl group is omitted from 7-hydroxy-3-methoxycadalene, was distributed in the heartwood of 4 Ulmaceae species as major cadalene compound.