Antioxidative compound, method of extracting same from rosemary, and use of same

摘要

The invention provides a novel antioxidant obtained from rosemary and suitable for preventing oxidation of various organic materials or, in particular, oleaginous foodstuffs. The antioxidant is prepared by extracting rosemary with a non-polar organic solvent and further extracting the thus extracted material with an aqueous alkaline solution having a pH of at least 10.5 as a weakly acidic fraction soluble in such a strongly alkaline solution. The extraction with the non-polar organic solvent is preferably preceded or followed by steam distillation in order to remove any spicy volatile materials undesirable when the antioxidant is added to foodstuffs or the like. Column chromatographic separation of the above obtained weakly acidic fraction into components gives a novel compound 7&bgr;,11,12-trihydroxy-6,10-(epoxymethano)abieta- 8,11,13-trien- 20-one as the effective ingredient of the antioxidant prepared from rosemary. Characterization of the above novel compound is given.