A-type procyanidins from Litchi chinensis pericarp with antioxidant activity

The main oligomeric procyanidins from litchi pericarp (Litchi chinensis) were isolated and identified. Complete assignment of epicatechin-(4β→8, 2β→O→7)-epicatechin-(4β→8)-epicatechin structure was obtained using CD, NMR and ESI-MS techniques. The known (−)-epicatechin and procyanidin A2 were also isolated from litchi pericarp. The effects of oligomeric procyanidins, A2 and epicatechin-(4β→8, 2β→O→7)-epicatechin-(4β→8)-epicatechin from litchi pericarp on free radical-scavenging were determined by using a chemiluminescent method. The results showed that all of them had a strong scavenging effect on OH, and the IC50 values were 2.60 μg/ml, 1.75 μg/ml and 1.65 μg/ml for oligomeric procyanidins, A2 and the trimeric procyanidins, respectively. The antioxidant activities of A-type dimeric and trimeric procyanidins seemed to be related to the number of hydroxyls in their molecular structures.