Sugarcane spirit extracts of oak and Brazilian woods: Antioxidant capacity and activity

Sugarcane spirit extracts of six different Brazilian woods for potential use in manufacturing aging casks were compared with similar extracts of five oak samples from different geographic origin and heat treatment regarding: (1) content of phenolics and copper; (2) radical reducing capacity and reactivity toward 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH•); and (3) effect on the rate of oxygen depletion rate in a peroxidating lipid model system. Total phenolic contents of the Brazilian wood extracts ranged from 0.65 (canela-sassafrás) to 6.4 (jatobá) mmol L and from 1.39 to 2.87 mmol L for oak extracts. Flavonoids ranged from 1.54 × 10 (ipê) to 6.5 × 10 (oak) mmol L, and tannins from below the detection limit to 0.22 (jatobá) mmol L. Correlation was observed for the antioxidant capacity versus phenolics/flavonoids/tannins content, where oak extracts exhibit the highest radical scavenging capacity compared to Brazilian woods. Rate constant for radical scavenging by the extracts ranged from 4.9 × 10 M s (canela-sassafrás) to 9.7 × 10 M s (oak). The oxygen consumption index showed the Brazilian woods amendoim and jatobá to be more efficient inhibitors than the oak extracts for lipid autoxidation initiated by metmyoglobin, despite that the oak extracts seem to be more efficient to scavenge DPPH•. No simple correlation with phenolics or copper content could be established, and a prooxidative tendency was observed for the extracts of canela-sassafrás, castanheira, and louro-canela. © 2008 Springer-Verlag.