Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc. Seeds as a Dietary Source of Ellagic Acid

Ellagic acid (EA), a natural food component, has been identified as a functional food because of its role in disease prevention. In our previous study on the chemical component of the seeds of Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc., ellagitannins (ETs) were firstly isolated and identified; these compounds can yield EA by acidic hydrolysis. Therefore, to evaluate the seeds as a potential source of EA, the free and total EA contents of the seeds, sarcocarps, and barks were evaluated separately. The highest total EA content was found in seeds (14.51-21.58 mg/g), followed by the sarcocarp (1.97-4.51 mg/g) and bark (trace amounts). EA mainly existed as ET in both the seeds and sarcocarps, while a small portion existed in free form. The findings of this study prove that the seeds of C. officinalis are a rich source of EA. This study reports a unique EA profile of C. officinalis for the first time, which may assist in the selection of EA sources for use in research and for the food and pharmaceutical industries.