Isolation and Identification of Myricitrin, an Antioxidant Flavonoid, from Daebong Persimmon Peel

In this study, the antioxidant flavonoid, myricitrin, was isolated and identified from Daebong persimmon peel. The persimmon peel extract was successively fractionated with n-hexane, ethyl acetate, and n-butanol. The ethyl acetate fraction had the strongest antioxidant activities among the solvent fractions and was further fractionated by silica gel and octadecylsilane column chromatography, and preparative high performance liquid chromatography. Three antioxidant compounds were finally isolated, and compound 2 was identified as myricitrin by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and (1)H and (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance. Myricitrin had the strongest antioxidant activities by ferric ion reducing antioxidant power and α,α-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging assays. These results suggested that myricitrin was found as a major antioxidant flavonoid responsible for the strong antioxidant activities of Daebong persimmon peels.