Novel antioxidants from safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) oil cake

Abstract

Three novel antioxidative serotonin derivatives were isolated from safflower oil cake (Carthamus tinctorius L.). Their structures were established as 4,4''-bis(N-p-coumaroyl)serotonin (1), 4-[N-(p- coumaroyl)serotonin-4''-yl]-N-feruloylserotonin (2), and 4,4''-bis(N- feruloyl)serotonin (3), Antioxidative activities of the compounds were measured by ferric thiocyanate method and DPPH method, and the compounds showed strong antioxidative activity.