Procyanidin Research Articles

Neuroprotective Effects and Mechanisms of Procyanidins In Vitro and In Vivo.

This study evaluated the neuroprotective effects and mechanisms of procyanidins (PCs). In vitro, rat pheochromocytoma cells (PC12 cells) were exposed to PCs (1, 2 or 4 μg/mL) or N-Acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) (20 μM) for 24 h, and then incubated with 200 μM of H2O2 for 24 h. Compared with H2O2 alone, PCs significantly increased antioxidant activities (e.g., glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT)), decreased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA), and increased nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) accumulation and increased the expression of quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), glutamate-cysteine ligase modifier subunit (GCLM), and glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC). In vivo, zebrafish larvae (AB strain) 3 days post-fertilization (dpf) were exposed to NAC (30 μM) or PCs (4, 8 or 16 μg/mL) in the absence or presence of 300 μM of H2O2 for 4 days. Compared with H2O2 alone, PCs enhanced antioxidant activities (e.g., GSH-Px, CAT, and SOD), decreased levels of ROS and MDA, and enhanced Nrf2/ antioxidant response element (ARE) activation and raised expression levels of NQO1, HO-1, GCLM, and GCLC. In conclusion, these results indicated that PCs exerted neuroprotective effects via activating the Nrf2/ARE pathway and alleviating oxidative damage.

Evaluation of Anthocyanin Profile and Color in Sweet Cherry Wine: Effect of Sinapic Acid and Grape Tannins during Aging.

Cherries are rich in bioactive phenolic compounds and are often fermented into cherry wines. The degradation of anthocyanins during storage will cause color deterioration. The study aimed to utilize sinapic acid and grape tannins in cherry wine to maintain a high fraction in the colored forms of anthocyanins, in order to maximize the color intensity, the latter being associated with good product quality. The effects on the anthocyanin profile and on color parameters of copigments, utilizing spectral measurement combined with UPLC-MS quantitative analysis, have been evaluated in sweet cherry wines. The copigmentation effect of sinapic acid and grape tannin was accompanied by the bathochromic shift and the hyperchromic effect, which lead to an increase in color intensity (lower L*, higher a* and b*). During the aging process, sinapic and grape tannin increased the content of pyranoanthocyanins in cherry wine, especially the addition of sinapic acid makes the cherry wine generate 10-syringyl-pyranocyanidin-3-rutinoside. These results demonstrate that sinapic acid is suitable for adding before alcohol fermentation, while grape tannins can be added before aging.

Detection and Identification of Oxidation Markers of the Reaction of Grape Tannins with Volatile Thiols Commonly Found in Wine.

Condensed tannins undergo many modifications during winemaking and the aging of wine. These reactions take place between the various constituent units of the tannins as well with other types of molecules present in wines. This work aimed to highlight the potential reactions of tannins and aromas. After the monomeric standards of the reaction products were synthesized, the study of the reactivity of tannins (dimer B2, trimer C1, and grape seed tannins composed of 23% epicatechin-3-O-gallate) with aromas (3-sufanylhexan-1-ol, 4-methyl-4-sulfanylpentan-2-one, ethanethiol, and furfurylthiol) permitted identification of numerous reaction products. These tannin/aroma oxidation markers, detected after chemical depolymerization, allow for progress in the characterization of tannins in the oenological environment and the understanding of their reactivity toward the molecules present in the samples. A better characterization of tannins will make it possible to better measure the impact of these modifications on the organoleptic qualities of wines.

New Insights into Wine Taste: Impact of Dietary Lipids on Sensory Perceptions of Grape Tannins.

Wine is very often consumed with a meal. However, although it is well known to tasters that the taste of wine changes in the presence of food, the influence of dietary lipids on wine astringency and bitterness caused by grape tannins is not well established from a molecular point of view. In this context, we investigated wine tannin-lipid interactions by combining biophysical techniques to sensory analysis. Nuclear magnetic resonance and optical and electron microscopy showed an interaction between catechin, a majority component of grape tannins, and lipid droplets from a phospholipid-stabilized oil-in-water emulsion, characterized by (a) an increase in the droplet size in the presence of catechin, (b) slowing of their size growth over time, and (c) an increase in lipid dynamics in the droplet interfacial layer. Those results were strengthened by sensory analysis, which demonstrated that dietary oils decrease the perception of astringency of grape tannin solutions. Our results highlight that dietary lipids are crucial molecular agents impacting our sensory perception during wine consumption.

Transcriptome Analysis Reveals the Procyanidin Treatment-responsive Genes Involved in Regulating Procyanidin Accumulation during Banana Ripening and Senescence

The mechanism regulating procyanidin (PA) accumulation in banana (Musa acuminata) fruit is not understood. During this study, the effects of PA treatment on the activities of banana PA biosynthetic enzymes and transcriptomic profiles were investigated. The results showed that PA treatment delayed the decreases in leucoanthocyanidin reductase and anthocyanidin reductase activities, which affected the accumulation of PA. Furthermore, the peel samples of the control fruit and the PA-treated fruit on day 1 were selected for transcriptomic analysis. The results revealed that PA treatment induced 1086 differentially expressed genes. Twenty-one key genes, including those encoding biosynthetic enzymes and regulatory factors involved in PA biosynthesis, were validated using a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The results showed that these genes were upregulated by PA treatment during banana storage. Taken together, our study improves current understanding of the mechanism underlying PA-regulated banana senescence and provide new clues for investigating specific gene functions.

Modification of Natural Proanthocyanidin Oligomers and Polymers Via Chemical Oxidation under Alkaline Conditions.

We tested the susceptibility of 102 proanthocyanidin (PA)-rich plant extracts to oxidation under alkaline conditions and the possibility to produce chemically modified PAs via oxidation. Both the nonoxidized and the oxidized extracts were analyzed using group-specific ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography–diode array detection–tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–DAD–MS/MS) methods capable of detecting procyanidin (PC) and prodelphinidin (PD) moieties along the two-dimensional (2D) chromatographic fingerprints of plant PAs. The results indicated different reactivities for PCs and PDs. When detected by UHPLC–DAD only, most of the PC-rich samples exhibited only a subtle change in their PA content, but the UHPLC–MS/MS quantitation showed that the decrease in the PC content varied by 0–100%. The main reaction route was concluded to be intramolecular. The PD-rich and galloylated PAs showed a different pattern with high reductions in the original PA content by both ultraviolet (UV) and MS/MS quantitation, accompanied by the shifted retention times of the chromatographic PA humps. In these samples, both intra- and intermolecular reactions were indicated.

Focus on the role of seed tannins and pectolytic enzymes in the color development of Pinot noir wine

Maceration techniques which promote the extraction of color pigments and tannin from grapes are often sought in Pinot noir winemaking to optimise color stability; alternatively, exogenous grape tannins may be included during fermentation. To examine the effect of seed-derived tannins and the use of pectolytic enzymes on color development in wines, conventional must preparations of Vitis vinifera L. cv Pinot noir grapes were compared with wines made using a supplementary addition of either a commercial seed tannin product or previously fermented seeds, while in a complementary experiment, seeds were sequentially removed during fermentation. After 6 months bottle aging, wines supplemented with either a commercial seed tannin solution (0.4 ​g/L), or fermented seeds (20% w/w seeds) had from 60% to 95% higher tannin concentration than the untreated wine, and up to 60% more monomeric anthocyanins. Conversely, when a third of the seeds were removed from the fermenting wine, the concentration of both tannin and non-bleachable pigments was 20–30% lower than in untreated wines and the wine hue had more red-purple tones. Exploration of the use of pectolytic enzymes in conjunction with seed removal was also found to have a significant impact on wine color parameters. Further insights on the timing of egress of tannin precursors from seeds was obtained from histochemical examination of the seeds that had been removed during alcoholic fermentation.

Procyanidins-crosslinked small intestine submucosa: A bladder patch promotes smooth muscle regeneration and bladder function restoration in a rabbit model

Currently the standard surgical treatment for bladder defects is augmentation cystoplasty with autologous tissues, which has many side effects. Biomaterials such as small intestine submucosa (SIS) can provide an alternative scaffold for the repair as bladder patches. Previous studies have shown that SIS could enhance the capacity and compliance of the bladder, but its application is hindered by issues like limited smooth muscle regeneration and stone formation since the fast degradation and poor mechanical properties of the SIS. Procyanidins (PC), a natural bio-crosslinking agent, has shown anti-calcification, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidation properties. More importantly, PC and SIS can crosslink through hydrogen bonds, which may endow the material with enhanced mechanical property and stabilized functionalities. In this study, various concentrations of PC-crosslinked SIS (PC-SIS) were prepared to repair the full-thickness bladder defects, with an aim to reduce complications and enhance bladder functions. In vitro assays showed that the crosslinking has conferred the biomaterial with superior mechanical property and anti-calcification property, ability to promote smooth muscle cell adhesion and upregulate functional genes expression. Using a rabbit model with bladder defects, we demonstrated that the PC-SIS scaffold can rapidly promote in situ tissue regrowth and regeneration, in particular smooth muscle remodeling and improvement of urinary functions. The PC-SIS scaffold has therefore provided a promising material for the reconstruction of a functional bladder.

Chemical Characterization of Neutral Extracts Prepared by Treating Pinus radiata Bark with Sodium Bicarbonate

A neutral extract (NE), that is soluble in cold water and has excellent antioxidant activity, from Pinus radiata pine bark was prepared by sodium bicarbonate treatment, and its chemical characteristics were investigated. NE was prepared by treating P. radiata bark with 0.8% NaHCO3 aqueous solution with a 5 : 1 liquor-to-bark ratio at boiling temperature for 1 h, resulting in 44% yield and final pH of 6.66. The yield of NE was 11% higher than that of the hot water extract (HWE) due to the increase in the solubility of polyphenols, the main component in the bark, by NaHCO3 treatment. NE was characterized through FT-IR, NMR, and MALDI TOF MS analyses. The results indicated that NE is mostly composed of proanthocyanidins (PAs) consisting of procyanidin (PC) units. The acetylated neutral extract (Ac-NE) had weight average molecular weight (Mw) of 5,300 Da. The Ac-NE had wide molecular weight distribution and its polydispersity (Mw/Mn) was 6 times higher than that of pure PA. The antioxidant activity of NE was determined by 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay and showed that NE had comparable antioxidant activity with pure PA.

Characterization of recombinant GRIP32 as a novel haze protein for protein-polyphenol haze models and prevention of haze formation with polysaccharides in the models

Haze-active proteins are an important factor in haze formation in wine and clear beverages. The aim of this study was to understand the role of haze proteins from pland origin, which are rich in basic amino acids from the plants, in the haze formation involving proteins and polyphenols, as well as to develop strategies to prevent haze formation. The grape ripening-related protein-like (GRIP) containing 12.50% histidine, 28.13% glycine, 16.41% glutamic acid and 1.56% arginine was screened as a potential haze protein from grape by bioinformatics, and recombinantly expressed, purified and characterized. The recombinant GRIP32 (rGRIP32) could be effectively removed by the adsorbents (i.e. bentonite and kaolin), or hydrolyzed by proteases (i.e. papain, neutral protease, and alkaline protease). Procyanidins (PCs) or epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) were proved to form a haze with rGRIP32. Protein-polyphenol haze models were established using rGRIP32 at 25 °C and pH 5.0. Polysaccharides including pectin, xanthan gum, and guar gum were shown to suppress the haze caused by rGRIP32. The microscale thermophoresis (MST) assay provided new evidences for the binding of proteins and polyphenols to form haze, and demonstrated that the mechanisms of polysaccharide-based haze prevention include competitive binding of polyphenols and formation of ternary complexes with them.

The inhibition mechanism of the texture deterioration of tilapia fillets during partial freezing after treatment with polyphenols

The inhibition mechanism of the texture deterioration of tilapia fillets after treatment with polyphenols during partial freezing for 49 days was studied. Carnosic acid (CA), procyanidin (PA), quercetin (QE), and resveratrol (RSV) treatments had significantly higher hardness values (over 230 g) than the control group (183 g) on day 49 (P < 0.05). Polyphenol treatments were effective in delaying the protein degradation, lipid oxidation and spoilage microbe growth. Moreover, the kinetic model showed that the predicted shelf life of tilapia fillets treated with PA (102 d) was extended by 25 d compared to the control group (77 d). It was the proposed possible mechanism that polyphenols comprehensively maintained the protein conformation (increased hydrogen bonds and decreased disulfide bonds) and retarded protein denaturation and degradation, protecting the texture of the fillets. Therefore, polyphenols can be used to maintain texture and extend the shelf life of tilapia fillets during partial freezing.

Optimization for quantification of sorghum tannins by Ferric ammonium citrate assay

Abstract Due to the complexity of structure, it is difficult to determine the content of sorghum tannins. The current method for the determination of sorghum tannins is the Ferric ammonium citrate assay described in ISO 9648. However, the standard tannic acid (TA) used in the ISO 9648 method is significantly different in both structure and dynamics from sorghum tannins, resulting in inaccurate quantitative result. Furthermore, the extraction solvent, 75% dimethylformamide (DMF), used in each step of this method had large toxicity to human. Hence, the objective of this study is to optimize the ISO 9648 method by selecting proper standard and extraction solvents so as to enhance the accuracy and safety. In this study, Sephadex LH-20 chromatography combined with high pressure liquid chromatography was used to purify and identify the extracted sorghum tannin (ST). Then, commercial TA, epicatechin (EA), grape seed procyanidin (PA) were selected as the standard and ST was used as reference for Ferric ammonium citrate assay to compare the effects of the three standards. Furthermore, the extraction rates of sorghum tannins in the presence of several low toxic solvents, such as absolute ethanol, absolute methanol, 70% ethanol solution, 70% methanol solution and 70% acetone solution, were compared to determine the alternative solvents of 75% DMF solution. The results showed that PA was superior to TA and EA in structure, with satisfactory color yield close to ST, and higher accuracy than TA. In terms of the extraction solvent, 70% acetone solution was selected to replace 75% DMF solution because of its higher extraction yield (only next to 75% DMF) and low toxicity. Verification experiment results showed that both the recovery rate and the repeatability of the optimized method met the requirements of AOCO. Moreover, the optimized method, with higher accuracy and safety than the ISO 9648 method, can be applied widely in laboratory.

Interactions between procyanidin oligomers and the active form of matrix metalloproteinase‐7: A theoretical insight

AbstractThe objective of this study was to determine the sites and modes of interaction of the most common oligomers of B‐type procyanidins (PCs) with the active form of the matrix metalloproteinase‐7 (MMP‐7) and some molecular properties of the PCs by using theoretical methods. These data may provide useful insights into the ability of PCs to act as selective MMP‐7 inhibitors. Some stereoisomers that predominated in the analyzed PCs (PB2, PC1, tetramer) could act as selective inhibitors of MMP‐7 due to their interaction with amino acids of the subsites S2 and/or S1′ in the active site, and with some specific amino acids of MMP‐7 that bind to cholesterol sulfate to promote proteolysis of the cell membrane. Hydrogen bonding was the main interaction of PB2 and PC1 with MMP‐7, while in the tetramer, the van der Waals interactions prevailed. The determination of molecular properties such as chemical reactivity and stability by the highest occupied molecular orbital and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital gap, revealed that oligomers of PCs acquired very stable poses in their docking with MMP‐7. Polarizability seems to be an important factor for PCs with large molecular volume (PC1, tetramer) to establish contact with amino acids of narrow subsites in the active site (S2, S1′) and amino acids located outside the active site.

Composition and antioxidant study of procyanidins from peanut skins

Peanut skins are rich in procyanidins (PCs) and are shown to have bioactivity properties. It was reported that there were differences between PCs obtained from peanut skins and grape seeds. The aim of the research was to evaluate the chemical structure and antioxidant capacity of PCs gained from peanut skins compared with those from natural grape seeds. PCs from grape seeds were used as PC standard to evaluate those from peanut skins. It was found that the content of PC standard was higher than peanut skins. PCs from peanut skins were mainly composed of A-type PCs with monomeric units of catechin and epicatechin. PC standard was mainly composed of B-type PCs whose monomeric units were epicatechin, epicatechin gallate and catechin. Additionally, the result of FRAP from peanut skins was lower than PC standard (p 0.05), which was consistent with results of cell antioxidant activity. These researches support that peanut skins can be utilized as a potentially abundant and cheap source of PCs which can be great substitutes of grape seeds.

Metabolic analysis of phenolic profiles reveals the enhancements of anthocyanins and procyanidins in postharvest peach as affected by hot air and ultraviolet C

Abstract Anthocyanins are one of the most critical components in peach fruit and are responsible for their visual appearance and nutritional value. In this study, hot air (HA) and UV-C treatments were applied to induce colour development. Peach fruit were treated with HA (40 °C, 4 h) or UV-C (1.5 kJ m−2, 20 min for each side) and then stored at 1 °C for 35 d plus another 3 d at 20 °C. The results showed that anthocyanins, procyanidins (PAs) and cyanidin-3-glucoside (Cya-3-G) increased in response to HA and UV-C during the storage period. LC–MS/MS analysis indicated that most of the individual phenols increased in response to the two treatments. However, l -phenylalanine significantly decreased. HA and UV-C significantly upregulated the enzyme activity and gene expression of phenylalanine ammonialyase to promote the conversion of phenylalanine into downstream compounds. The activities of leucoanthocyanidin reductase and anthocyanidin reductase were enhanced by HA and UV-C, which led to the accumulation of PAs. Besides, the activities of dihydroflavonol reductase, anthocyanidin synthase and UDP-glucose: flavonoid 3-o-glucosyltransferase increased in response to the two treatments, with increased contents of Cya-3-G, leucopelargonidin and pelargonidin-3-G occurring in treated fruit. In summary, HA and UV-C promoted the synthesis of anthocyanins and PAs by enhancing the activities and expressions of enzymes involved in phenylpropanoid metabolism.

Transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis provides insights into anthocyanin and procyanidin accumulation in pear

BackgroundPear is one of the most important fruit crops worldwide. Anthocyanins and procyanidins (PAs) are important secondary metabolites that affect the appearance and nutritive quality of pear. However, few studies have focused on the molecular mechanism underlying anthocyanin and PA accumulation in pear.ResultsWe conducted metabolome and transcriptome analyses to identify candidate genes involved in anthocyanin and PA accumulation in young fruits of the pear cultivar ‘Clapp Favorite’ (CF) and its red mutation cultivar ‘Red Clapp Favorite’ (RCF). Gene–metabolite correlation analyses revealed a ‘core set’ of 20 genes that were strongly correlated with 10 anthocyanin and seven PA metabolites. Of these, PcGSTF12 was confirmed to be involved in anthocyanin and PA accumulation by complementation of the tt19–7 Arabidopsis mutant. Interestingly, PcGSTF12 was found to be responsible for the accumulation of procyanidin A3, but not petunidin 3, 5-diglucoside, opposite to the function of AtGSTs in Arabidopsis. Transformation with PcGSTF12 greatly promoted or repressed genes involved in anthocyanin and PA biosynthesis, regulation, and transport. Electrophoretic mobility shift and luciferase reporter assays confirmed positive regulation of PcGSTF12 by PcMYB114.ConclusionThese findings identify a core set of genes for anthocyanin and PA accumulation in pear. Of these, PcGSTF12, was confirmed to be involved in anthocyanin and PA accumulation. Our results also identified an important anthocyanin and PA regulation node comprising two core genes, PcGSTF12 and PcMYB114. These results provide novel insights into anthocyanin and PA accumulation in pear and represent a valuable data set to guide future functional studies and pear breeding.

Procyanidins-Loaded Complex Coacervates for Improved Stability by Self-Crosslinking and Calcium Ions Chelation.

The purpose of this work was to develop a facile strategy based on self-crosslinking between the core and wall materials in the coacervation system for effective procyanidins (PCs) encapsulation. The coacervates were constructed through the interaction of bioactive PCs, gelatin, and sodium alginate, followed by forming cationic bridge of sodium alginate-calcium ions to improve the stability of PCs. When the concentration of PCs and calcium ions were 6.25 and 0.24 mg/mL, respectively, the PC-loaded coacervates showed spherical shape with a size about 150 nm, and the microcapsulation efficiency and yield was 81.19 ± 1.47 and 87.86 ± 2.67%, respectively. The photothermal stability of PCs was effectively improved by embedding them in coacervates. The decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential in PC-12 cells induced by H2O2 was significantly inhibited by PC coacervates, demonstrating an improved protection effect of PCs after being encapsulated in coacervates.

Antimicrobial in vitro activities of condensed tannin extracts on avian pathogenic Escherichia coli.

Condensed tannins (CTs), which extracted from yew leaves, tilia flower and black locust leaves, were examined for their antimicrobial in vitro activity against avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC). Past research demonstrated that CTs which contain procyanidins and prodelphinidins that could inhibit the growth of a wide range of bacteria. However, there is no information on how these affect pathogenic bacteria from chickens such as APEC. The high concentration of extracts, 10, 5, 2·5mgml-1 , affected the growth curves of APEC, which gave different inhibition values for the three CT extracts. Furthermore, these CTs had significant effects (P≤0·05) on APEC biofilm and motility depending on each CT concentration and composition. However, at low concentration (0·6mgml-1 ), the tilia flowers, a high molar percentage of procyanidins, enhanced bacterial cell attachment and improved the swimming motility of APEC. In contrast, yew, an equal molar percentage of procyanidins/prodelphinidins, and black locust, a high molar percentage of prodelphinidins, interrupted and blocked swarming and swimming motility. The data suggested that the antimicrobial activity of the CT extracts was elicited by a positive relationship between anti-biofilm formation and anti-motility capacities. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study showed that condensed tannins (CTs), which were a group of secondary metabolites of many plants and rich in prodelphinidins (PD), had greater antibacterial activity against avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) than CTs that were rich in procyanidins (PC). The mode of action of the CTs was to inhibit the swimming and swarming motility of APEC, and its ability to form biofilms. The significance of this finding is that the use of PD-rich CTs to control APEC should not encourage the development of antibiotic resistance by APEC because a different mechanism is used. If confirmed in vivo, this could provide the poultry industry with a valuable and novel means of controlling the antibiotic resistance.

Screening active components from Rubus amabilis for pancreatic β-cells protection

Context Rubus species (Rosaceae) have been used in folk medicine to treat diabetes due to their hypoglycaemic activity. Objective To screen the active components that act as hypoglycaemic agents in Rubus amabilis Focke and the underlying mechanisms. Materials and methods Aqueous stem extract of R. amabilis was incubated with MIN6 β-cells, PBS was used as the blank control. Then the cells were washed, cell membrane-bound components were dissociated and identified by UPLC/MS. Total procyanidins (PCs) in R. amabilis was enriched and the cytotoxicity and anti-proliferation on β-cell were evaluated by MTT assay. PCs at 25, 50, and 75 μg/mL was applied for 24 h to determine its effects on palmitate (PA)-induced apoptosis and GSIS. Western blotting was employed to detect the protein expression of PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 signalling. The antioxidant indices were also measured. Results β-Cell membrane-bound components were identified as three procyanidin B dimers and a C trimer. PCs showed no significant cytotoxicity up to a concentrations of 100 μg/mL. PCs treatment reversed the elevated apoptosis rate and impaired GSIS induced by PA. PCs markedly decreased the intracellular ROS and MDA production and increased the SOD activity. Moreover, PCs promoted the phosphorylation of Akt and FoxO1, and regulated Pdx-1 and Bax expression in MIN6 cells. Discussion and conclusion: The active components that act as hypoglycaemic agents in R. amabilis are procyanidins, which protected MIN6 cells against PA-induced apoptosis by activating PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 signalling. These results indicate that β-cell extraction, combined with UPLC/MS, is a valid method for screening antidiabetic components from herbal medicines.

Optimization of high-intensity pulsed electric field-assisted extraction of procyanidins from Vitis amurensis seeds using response surface methodology

Procyanidins (PC) from Vitis amurensis seeds was extracted using high-intensity pulsed electric field (PEF). The process parameters including pulse number, electric field strength, ratio of material to liquid and ethanol concentration were studied using response surface methodology, and extraction yield of the extracts were determined. Antioxidant activity of the extracts by PEF, ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE), microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and ethanol extraction (EAE) were compared based on total antioxidant capacity, DPPH radical scavenging capacity and ferrous ion chelating activity. The results revealed that the optimization of conditions of PEF are: pulse number 10; electric field strength 25 kV/cm; ratio of material to liquid 1:21 g/mL; ethanol concentration 63% (v/v), and the PC yields reached 8.23% under this condition. The PEF resulted in a highest extraction yield of PC among the four extraction methods. There was no significant difference in total antioxidant capacity of PC obtained by four methods, the DPPH radical scavenging capacity and ferrous ion chelating activity of PC extracted by PEF were close to that of UAE and MAE, which were superior to EAE. These showed that PEF was an effective method for extracting PC.