Antioxidant activity and structural features of Cinnamomum zeylanicum

The antioxidants in food materials have recently attracted researchers' attention because many reports have shown that the oxidative stress is closely related to the aging process of the cells and acts as a trigger to various diseases including cancer. Since reactive oxygen species (ROS) is involved in initiating and promoting several diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular events, this study was designed to evaluate the antioxidant capacity of pectic polysaccharides extracted from the bark of Cinnamomum zeylanicum, locally known as Daruchini. An arabinogalactan (A), one partly methyl esterified galacturonic acid (B) and a neutral glucan (C) were isolated. The glucan is made up of β-(1 → 3)-linked glucopyranosyl residues and has a molecular mass of 7 kDa. The arabinogalactan is highly branched and has an average molecular mass of 40 kDa. The in vitro antioxidant capacity of the fractions was studied by ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays. The arabinogalactan (A) showed the highest potential followed by the uronic acid (B) and glucan (C). Taken together, these findings demonstrate that these polysaccharides could be used as natural antioxidants by the food industry.