Antioxidant capacity of abietanes from Sphacele salviae

Abstract

Carnosol 1, rosmanol 2, carnosic acid 3 and 20-deoxocarnosol 4, the main phenolic abietanes present in aerial parts of the Chilean medicinal plant Sphacele salviae were tested for antioxidant activity of measuring the decay of the radical cation diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). All compounds displayed higher antioxidant levels than BHT under the same conditions and carnosic acid was more efficient than vitamin E.