Antioxidant activity and mechanism of the abietane-type diterpene ferruginol

<div><p>The antioxidant activity of the abietane-type diterpene ferruginol was evaluated by comparison with that of carnosic acid, ( ± )-α-tocopherol and dibutylhydroxytoluene using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, β-carotene bleaching and linoleic acid assays. Ferruginol had the lowest antioxidant activity of this group using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and β-carotene methods in polar solvent buffer. However, ferruginol exhibited stronger activity than carnosic acid and α-tocopherol for linoleic acid oxidation under non-solvent conditions. Five peaks corresponding to ferruginol derivatives were detected through GC-MS analysis of the reaction between ferruginol and methyl linoleate. The three reaction products were identified as dehydroferruginol, 7β-hydroxyferruginol and sugiol, and the other two peaks were assumed to be 7α-hydroxyferruginol and the quinone methide derivative of ferruginol. The time course of the reaction suggests that the quinone methide was produced early in the reaction and reacted further to produce dehydroferruginol, 7-hydroxyferruginol and sugiol. Thus, we inferred that quinone methide formation was a key step in the antioxidant reaction of ferruginol.</p></div

Effect of Pulsed High-Voltage Stimulation οn Pholiota Nameko Mushroom Yield

A pulsed high voltage was applied to logs for mushroom cultivation to investigate an effect of pulse high voltage on mushroom growth. Inductive energy storage system was utilized to construct a pulsed power generator with compact size. Copper fuse of 0.03 mm diameter was used as an opening switch to interrupt large circuit current in short time. The voltage charged in primary energy storage capacitor was multiplied using secondary energy storage inductor. The output voltage of the pulsed power generator was 120 kV with 100 ns pulse width at 14 kV charging voltage of 0.22 μF primary energy storage capacitor and 15 μH secondary energy storage inductor. This pulsed high voltage was applied to 90 cm length logs inoculated Pholiota nameko fungus. The yield of Pholiota nameko mushrooms was successfully improved with the pulse voltage stimulation. The total weight of the cropped Pholiota nameko after the pulse voltage stimulation was 6.3 kg for fifteen logs and this value was 1.5 times larger than 4.3 kg of total weight without the stimulation. The number of logs with lower than 0.27 kg cropped Pholiota nameko weight which was an average value for control group was only one in fifteen, whereas four logs in control group showed almost zero weight of cropped Pholiota nameko