Antioxidant properties and chemical composition of technical Cashew Nut Shell Liquid (tCNSL)

The present study analysed the antioxidant activity of the technical Cashew Nut Shell Liquid (tCNSL) using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging assay and the xanthine oxidase assay, as well as in vivo evaluation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae assay. Also, the chemical composition of tCNSL was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), revealing the presence of cardanols (40.26%), cardols (29.95%), phytosterol (10.68%), triacontanes (4.66%) and anacardic acid (1.79%). The DPPH-based assay results showed that tCNSL 1000 mu g/ml reduced the radical level by 88.9%, and the scavenging of hydroxyl radicals in the xanthine oxidase assay indicated significant antioxidant activity (IC50 = 702 mu g/ml). In addition, tCNSL exerts an important protective effect against oxidative stress in yeast when used in 100-500 mu g/ml concentration range, when exposed to paraquat or H2O2, indicating an in vivo antioxidant effect. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.