ng seven tumor cell lines. Selective inhibition of K562 and HT-29 cells was observed from a methanolic extract in the range of 16-125 μg/mL. Radicalscavenging activity was greatest in an extract composed primarily of flavonol glycosides. Seven flavonol glycosides were isolated and purified from whole fruit for further evaluation; the anthocyanin cyanidin 3-galactoside was also purified for comparison with the flavonoids. Three flavonol monoglycosides were newly identified by 13C NMR as myricetin 3-α-arabinofuranoside, quercetin 3-xyloside, and 3-methoxyquercetin 3-β-galactoside (isorhamnetin); the other four isolated were the previously identified myricetin 3-β-galactoside, quercetin 3-β-galactoside, quercetin 3-α-arabinofuranoside, and quercetin 3-α-rhamnopyranoside. These compounds were evaluated for 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical-scavenging activity and ability to inhibit low-density lipoprotein oxidation in vitro. Most of the flavonol glycosides showed antioxidant activity comparable or superior to that of vitamin E; cyanidin 3-galactoside showed activity superior to that of the flavonoids as well as vitamin E or Trolox in both antioxidant assays.

Bioactivity-guided fractionation of cranberry fruit was used to determine the identity of triterpenoid esters from Vaccinium macrocarpon, which inhibit tumor cell growth and may play a role in cancer prevention. In our previous study, a fraction from whole fruit exhibited tumor cell growth inhibition in vitro. The major components of this fraction were isolated by chromatographic separation of ethyl acetate extracts, purified by semipreparative HPLC, and identified by NMR as cis- (1) and trans- (2) isomers of 3-O-p-hydroxycinnamoyl ursolic acid. These triterpenoid esters have not been previously reported in Vaccinium fruit. Bioassay of the purified triterpene cinnamates in tumor cell lines in vitro showed slightly greater activity of compound 1 in most cell lines, with GI50 values of approximately 20µM in MCF-7 breast, ME180 cervical and PC3 prostate tumor cell lines. Quercetin was slightly less active than 1, while cyanidin-3-galactoside exhibited much lower cytotoxicity, with GI50 greater than 250 μM in all cell lines. Phenylboronic acid (3) was also isolated from the fruit but showed insignificant antitumor activity.

Five caffeic acid derivatives were found in the roots of yacon, Smallanthus sonchifolius (Poepp. And Endl.) H. Robinson, Asteraceae, as the major water-soluble phenolic compounds. The structures of these compounds were determined by analysis of spectroscopic data. Two of these were chlorogenic acid (3-caffeoylquinic acid) and 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, common phenolic compounds in plants of the family Asteraceae. Three were esters of caffeic acid with the hydroxy groups of aldaric acid, derived from hexose. The structure of the aldaric moiety was determined by hydrolysis and comparison of NMR spectra with those of standard aldaric acids. The compounds were novel caffeic acid esters of altraric acid: 2,4-or 3,5-dicaffeoylaltraric acid, 2,5-dicaffeoylaltraric acid, and 2,3,5-or 2,4,5- tricaffeoylaltraric acid.

Accumulations of selenium in kelp Laminaria japonica cultured in seawater was achieved by adding selenite (Na2SeO3) with or without N-P (NaNO3+NaH2PO4) nutrients at different concentrations. Biotransformation of selenium in the kelp was investigated through measuring the selenium of biological samples and different biochemical fractionations. The results showed that the optimal seleniteenrichment concentration is 200 mg L-1, which can allow the kelp to accumulate a total selenium content from 0.51 (0.15

The chemical species of iodine in seven marine algae Codium fragile, Ulva pertusa, Monostroma nitidum, Gracilaria confervoides, Sargassum Kjellmanianum, Dictyopteris divaricata and Laminaria japonica were studied using neutron activation analysis combined with chemical separation. The contents of total iodine, water-soluble iodine, soluble organic iodine, I- and 103 were determined. The results indicate that the chemical species and contents of iodine in various algae are remarkably different. The highest iodine content of 734 mg/kg (wet basis) was found in Laminaria japonica, with 99.2% of the total iodine being water soluble. The iodine contents of the other six algae are. lower and soluble iodine makes up 16-41% of the total. In the aqueous leachate, iodine is mainly I-, which amounts to 61-93% of total water-soluble iodine; the percentages of organic iodine making up 5.5-37.4%, while the contents of IO3- are the lowest, 1.4-4.5%. This result suggests that the mechanism of iodine enrichment is different for various algae and that its bioavailability varies as well.