Chemical and antioxidant investigations: Norfolk pine needles (Araucaria excelsa)

Abstract

Chemical investigations from a foliar extract of Araucaria excelsa (Lamb.) (Araucariaceae) resulted in the identification of seven phenolic metabolites including one flavananol, one flavananol 3-O-glycoside, four C-glycoside flavonoids, and one phenolic acid. Structures were elucidated by spectral determination including: UV, NMR and MS analysis. Moderate antioxidant activity was observed with a 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay in comparison with the reference antioxidant ascorbic acid.

Keywords::

• Antioxidants
• Araucaria excelsa
• Araucariaceae
• DPPH
• flavonoids
• needles
• Norfolk pine
• phenolics