• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.40 no.10
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• pp.1361-1370
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• 2011

Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of eugenol and its derivatives from clove (Eugenia caryophyllata Thunb.) were evaluated using in vitro assay systems by measuring 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and 15-lipoxygenase (15-LOX). Among eight different crude medicinal drugs tested, volatile extracts of clove extracted by steam distillation extraction (SDE) showed potent DPPH radical scavenging activity ($IC_{50}$=8.85 ${\mu}g/mL$) as well as strong inhibitory activity against COX-2 (58.15%) and 15-LOX (86.15%) at 10 ${\mu}g/mL$ and 25 ${\mu}g/mL$, respectively. Major volatile components of clove were identified as eugenol, trans-caryophyllene, and acetyleugenol by GC-MS analysis. Out of three eugenol derivatives, eugenol, methyl eugenol, and acetyl eugenol, eugenol showed the strongest DPPH radical scavenging activity and COX-2 inhibitory activity, whereas methyl eugenol exhibited the strongest 15-LOX inhibitory activity. Finally, the contents of the three eugenol derivatives in clove were quantified by analytical HPLC. Contents of eugenol and acetyl eugenol in clove were 6.95% and 1.85% per dry weight, respectively. These results suggest that eugenol and its derivatives in steam distilled extract of clove may be useful as potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents.