We examined the antioxidant activity of lignin which is a kind of dietary fiber by using a new lignin derivative , 'lignophenol'. Lignophenol is close to natural lignin compared with any other lignin derivatives prepared with the former methods. Twelve kinds of lignophenols were prepared from beech (Fagus crenata Blume) and hinoki (Cryptomeria japonica D.Don) by a phase-separative reaction system composed of cresol and sulfuric acid. The antioxidant activity of lignophenol against the oxidation

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... of linoleic acid was determined by the peroxidative value (POV) and the thiobarbituric acid (TBA) methods. All lignophenols effectively prevented the oxidation of lipids as same as BHA, and the lignophenols treated with alkali and acetylated had high activity. The antioxidant activity of lignophenol from hinoki that has guaiasyl (o-methoxyphenolic) groups tended to be higher than that of beech that has guaiasyl and syringyl groups.