• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.321-327
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• 2004

Cortex of Ulmus davidiana var. japonica N. and Hemipteleae davidii P. have been used without classification according to countries as oriental medicine for treatment of various disorders. This study was conducted to elucidate the difference in antioxidant activity and total phenol content of these medicinal materials. Root cortex and trunk cortex of two medicinal plants were extracted with 80% ethanol $(at\;85^{\circ}C)$ and water (at room temperature), respectively. All of the extracts at $200{\sim}5\;{\mu}g/ml$, showed more effective scavenging activity on superoxide radical than ascorbic acid, and 80% ethanol and water extracts of Ulmus root cortex (URC) was more effective. Scavenging activities on DPPH radical of 80% ethanol extracts from URC and Ulmus trunk cortex (UTC) at 10 ${\mu}g/ml$, (41.4, 35.6%) were higher than those of the other six extracts and ${\alpha}-tocopherol\;(2.3{\sim}24.0%)$. Inhibitory activities on human low density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation of 80% ethanol extracts from UTC and URC (84.3, 81.7%) at $10\;{\mu}g/ml\;(31.3{\sim}78.2%)$ were higher than those of the other six extracts and ${\alpha}-tocopherol$. However, antioxidant activities on linoleic acid peroxidation of all of the extracts were relatively lower than that ${\alpha}-tocopherol$. Total phenol content of 80% ethanol extract from URC was the highest value as 50.8% and that of water extract from HRC was the lowest as 5.6% among the extracts. From these results, it is suggested that Ulmus root cortex was the most effective in antioxidant activity.