Antioxidant Activity and Chemical Composition of Torreya grandis cv. Merrillii Seed

Torreya grandis cv. Merrillii is an endemic tree species in China, seeds of which are used as a popular snack, possessing beneficial effects on preventing angiosclerosis and coronary heart diseases. In this study, antioxidant activity and chemical constituents of T grandis cv. Merrillii seed (TGMS) were investigated. The antioxidant activity of different fractions and the ethanol extract was evaluated using 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity, hydroxyl radical scavenging activity and lipid peroxidation assays. The oil, CH2Cl2 and n-BuOH fractions, and ethanol extract of TGMS all showed antioxidant activities in these models, especially the DPPH one. By GC-MS analysis, twenty-seven constituents were identified from the oil fraction of TGMS. The total content of phenolic compounds in the CH2Cl2 and n-BuOH fractions and ethanol extract was also determined by the Folin-Ciocalteau method as 17.6, 21.6 and 12.9 mu g/mg, respectively. In addition, analysis of the CH2Cl2 fraction yielded four phenolic compounds: 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 4-methoxy pyrocatechol, coniferyl aldehyde, 4-hydroxy cinnamaldehyde, and two steroids, beta-sitosterol and daucosterol. These results provide scientific support for the empirical use of TGMS as a medicinal food for cardiovascular diseases.