Phytochemicals from wood extract of Cunninghamia konishii Hayata as antioxidant agents

• The EtOAc soluble fraction from Cunninghamia konishii wood exhibited the best antioxidant activity.
• The antioxidant constituents from subfraction E2, namely lanceolatanin D (1) and isolariciresinol (2).
• The lanceolatanin D (1) and isolariciresinol (2) exhibited significant antioxidant activities.
• Cunninghamia konishii wood ethanolic extract and its compounds have great potential as a source of natural health products.

Antioxidant potencies of ethanolic extract and its compounds from Cunninghamia konishii wood were investigated and reported for the first time. The results revealed that among five soluble fractions derived from ethanolic extract, the EtOAc soluble fraction possesses the highest antioxidant activity. The bioassay-guided fractionation yielded two potent antioxidant constituents from subfraction E2, namely lanceolatanin D (1) and isolariciresinol (2). Both lanceolatanin D (1) and isolariciresinol (2) exhibited DPPH radical, superoxide anion radical scavenging, and reducing power activities. Therefore, C. konishii wood ethanolic extract and its compounds are great sources of antioxidants for improving human health.