Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Effect of Free Volatile Aglycones from Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans Houtt.) Compared to Its Essential Oil

The paper reports on the isolation of glycosidically bound volatiles from nutmeg, identification of free aglycones, and determination of the antioxidative power of free aglycones in comparison with nutmeg essential oil. Comparison of the chemical composition of free volatiles with the chemical composition of free volatile compounds found in the essential oil reveals only two common compounds (eugenol, terpinen-4-ol). To measure the antioxidative activities of the essential oil and enzymatically released aglycones from nutmeg, two different assays were performed: the 2,2\u27-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging method (DPPH) and the ferric reducing / antioxidant power assay (FRAP). Both methods showed that the aglycone fraction possesses stronger antioxidant properties than free volatiles from the oil