Antioxidant and cytoprotective compounds from Berberis vulgaris (barberry)

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Activity‐guided fractionation of an EtOAc‐soluble partition of the MeOH extract from the root bark of<jats:italic> Berberis vulgaris</jats:italic> L. (barberry), using a hydroxyl radical‐scavenging assay, led to the isolation and identification of three phenolic compounds of a previously known structure,<jats:italic> N</jats:italic>‐(<jats:italic>p</jats:italic>‐<jats:italic>trans</jats:italic>‐coumaroyl)tyramine, cannabisin G and (±)‐lyoniresinol. Of these, cannabisin G and (±)‐lyoniresinol exhibited antioxidant activity in this bioassay. Furthermore, it was found that cannabisin G showed cytoprotective activity in cultured MCF‐7 cells modulated by hydrogen peroxide. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.