Oak tree leaves are amazingly resistant to degradation and the tannin profile of green leaves essentially remains unchanged when compared to wintered-fallen leaves.  The persistence of the tannin profile apparently prevents breakdown of the leaves by soil organisms.  Oak acorns are utilized by a few adapted animal and insect species as a food source, but are avoided by a host of non-adapted species.  In an attempt to better understand the potential ecological roles of tannins, extracts were prepared from the leaves and acorns of red and white oak species.  The extracts were submitted to a brine shrimp lethality assay as the determinant of the degree of cytotoxicity.  The differences in activity were investigated by tree species and sample type to consider how the variations in tannin type and quantity might affect the degree of cytotoxicity exhibited.

Cytotoxic activity of Quercus extracts

247th National Meeting (2014)

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