Abstract
Flavonoids in nine tissues of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertner were identified and quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) and HPLC-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MSn). Thirty-eight flavonoids were identified; eleven C-glycosides and five O-glycosides were discovered for the first time in N. nucifera. Most importantly, the C-glycosyl apigenin or luteolin detected in lotus plumules proved valuable for deep elucidation of flavonoid composition in lotus tissues and for further utilization as functional tea and medicine materials. Lotus leaves possessed the significantly highest amount of flavonoids (2.06E3±0.08 mg 100 g−1 FW) and separating and purifying the bioactive compound, quercetin 3-O-glucuronide, from leaves showed great potential. In contrast, flavonoids in flower stalks, seed coats and kernels were extremely low. Simultaneously, the optimal picking time was confirmed by comparing the compound contents in five developmental phases. Finally, we proposed the putative flavonoid biosynthesis pathway in N. nucifera.
Highlights
Component analysis of bioactive compounds including flavonoids, proanthocyanins and essential oils, has been the target of much research [1,2,3]
Method validation To verify the reliability of the optimized separation method, the analytical parameters were determined for anthocyanins with cyanidin 3-O-b-D-glucopyranoside (Cy-3-Glc) and other flavonoids with quercetin 3-O-a-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1R6)-b-D-glucopyranoside
The results showed that the relative standard deviations (RSDs) of the 38 compounds were less than 2.51% in inter-day test and less than 2.35% for intra-day analysis (Table S.2)
Summary
Component analysis of bioactive compounds including flavonoids, proanthocyanins and essential oils, has been the target of much research [1,2,3]. Flavonoids, with a C6-C3-C6 skeleton, are biosynthesized by a series of condensation reactions between hydroxycinnamic acid (B ring) and malonyl residues (A ring). As a result, these compounds exhibit a two-absorption band structure: a cinnamoyl system at 300–400 nm (Band I) and a benzoyl system at 240–280 nm (Band II). Nelumbo nucifera Gaertner, considered to be a traditional ornamental and medicinal plant, has been cultivated all over China. It is usually used as a vegetable or in Chinese traditional herbal medicines, and each part of the lotus is valuable. The application of lotus plumules in medicine is intriguing and likely to be the frontier
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