A water-soluble hydroxycinnamate-derived polymer (>1000 kDa) from Symphytum asperum Lepech. (Boraginaceae) strongly reduced the diphenylpicrylhydrazyl radical (IC(50) approximately 0.7 microg/mL) and inhibited the nonenzymatic lipid peroxidation of bovine brain extracts (IC(50) approximately 10 ng).
Three species of the Boraginaceae were studied: greenhouse-grown plants of Heliotropium indicum and Agrobacterium rhizogenes transformed roots cultures (hairy roots) of Cynoglossum officinale and Symphytum officinale. The species-specific pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PA) profiles of the three systems