Abstract
Seedpod, the nonedible portion of lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.), was reported to be rich in polyphenols. The objective of this study was to investigate the major bioactive polyphenols of the lotus seedpods. The total polyphenol content (TPC) from ethanol extract of lotus seedpod (PELS) was found to be 34.23 μg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/mg extract. Four polyphenolic compounds were identified in the PELS, comprised of one flavan‐3‐ol (catechin) and three flavonoids (kaemferol, quercetin and hyperoside). In vitro antioxidant and antiproliferative properties of the PELS were evaluated. PELS exhibited 89.38%, 99.82%, 68.25%, and 95.82% scavenging activities against 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), superoxide, hydroxyl, and 2,2ʹazinobis‐3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid (ABTS) radicals, respectively, at 1.6 mg/ml. The Fe3+ reducing power of PELS was 0.605 at 0.32 mg/ml, which is comparable to glutathione (GSH). The PELS showed 31.79% metal chelating capacity and 87.79% inhibition of linoleic acid auto‐oxidation at 1.6 mg/ml. PELS showed cytotoxicity toward HepG2 and LNcap cell lines in vitro with IC50 values at 44.59 and 11.50 μg/ml, respectively. The findings of this study provide evidences that the inedible lotus seedpod could be a source for natural antioxidants and anticancer agents.
Highlights
Oxygen is vital for the sustenance of human and other aerobic organisms, and its depletion during cell metabolism produces by‐ products such as reactive oxygen species (ROS)
Our results show that total polyphenol content (TPC) of PELS is higher in quantity as compared to phenolic content (22.5 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g) in lotus cultivar from Korea (Park et al, 2009)
The present study provides new information about the antioxidative and antiproliferative properties of the lotus seedpod extract and can be considered of practical interest
Summary
Oxygen is vital for the sustenance of human and other aerobic organisms, and its depletion during cell metabolism produces by‐ products such as reactive oxygen species (ROS). Vitamins A, C, and E are the most commonly used diet supplement intake of antioxidants to prevent oxidative damage by ROS. Vegetables are full of vitamins and other antioxidants such as polyphenols which could reduce overproduction of ROS. Studies showed that dietary polyphenols as antioxidants can reduce the risk of chronic diseases related to ROS or oxidative stress, including diabetes mellitus (Wu et al, 2016), Alzheimer's disease (Tönnies & Trushina, 2017), and cancers (Sosa et al, 2013). Health concerns over human safety have increased interest in the development and utilization of natural, high potency, and low cost food‐derived antioxidants, to replace the current synthetic antioxidants
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