Tonic Beverage Research Articles

The Potential of ZICURMA Herbal Supplement in Inhibiting Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines as Therapeutic Agents in SARS-CoV2 Infection

nSARS-CoV2 causes pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome that involves exacerbated pro-inflammatory cytokines hyperproduction. ZICURMA, zing-curcuma is a tonic developed from ginger, turmeric, and curcuma that may be adequate to remedy nSARS-CoV2 infections. Therefore, this study aims to predict the effectiveness and possible inhibition of potentially bioactive compounds in ZICURMA against pro-inflammatory cytokines through a molecular docking approach. Three bioactive compounds were identified and extracted from KnapSackFamily, namely bisacumol, curcumin and desmetoxycurcumin; then, the 3D structures were generated from PubChem. The protein targets were prepared using an open babel program integrated into PyRx 0.8; there were TN-α, IL-6 / IL-6R, and IL-1 / IL-1R, respectively. The results showed that the ligands had moderate to solid binding affinity with values ranging from –5.0 kcal/mol to –9.0 kcal/mol. However, it offers a mismatch of bonds, including between curcumin compounds and IL-6, IL-6R, IL-1R and IL-1ß. In silico simulation proves that the bioactive compound in ZICURMA does not allow binding to IL-6, IL-6R, IL-1R and IL-1ß proteins. However, it cannot be used as a standard reference to determine the feasibility of bisacumol, desmethoxycurcumin, and curcumin as an anti-viral candidate. Further in-vitro researches should be conducted to validate the potency of ZICURMA as an anti-viral infection. HIGHLIGHTS The main finding of this research includes: The ZIRCUMA or a tonic beverage produced using Zingiber officinale (ginger), Curcuma domestica (turmeric) and C. xanthorhiza (curcuma) contain three most identical bioactive compound, bisacumol, curcumin, and desmethoxycurcumin Bisacumol, curcumin, and desmethoxycurcumin potentially have a strong interact to inflammatory cytokine (that involved in COVID-19 infection) in in-silico simulation The binding interaction is dominated by conventional H-bonds that representing a strong type of interaction. However, the presence of unfavorable donor-donor and unfavorable acceptor-acceptor binding in several interaction should be noted as a possible incompatibility junction Even though it has a strong interaction in in-silico model, the main bioavailability mechanism of bisacumol, curcumin, and desmethoxycurcumin as immunomodulator related to the COVID-19 systemic inflammation in lung organ still unclear GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

The history of Gin and Tonic; the infectious disease specialist long drink. When gin and tonic was not ordered but prescribed.

The spectacular voyage of Gin and Tonic teaches us that a popular recreational drink of our Century was a powerful prophylaxis which certainly helped British colonial expansion.

Efficacy and Safety of Jollab (a Saffron-Based Beverage) on Cancer-Related Fatigue in Breast Cancer Patients: A Double-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial

Introduction: Fatigue is a common complaint in cancer patients and profoundly affects the quality of life of the patients. Therefore, we designed a clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Jollab (containing saffron, honey, and rose water) as a tonic beverage in the management of cancer-related fatigue in breast cancer patients. Methods: Seventy-five patients were randomly assigned into two groups, patients received either 4 weeks Jollab or the placebo (20 mL three times daily). Fatigue was assessed with scores of Visual Analogue Fatigue Scale (VAFS), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), and Cancer Fatigue Scale (CFS) at weeks 0 and 4 (before and after the intervention). Results: In the Jollab group, VAFS showed a significant decrease (p = 0.000), but in the placebo group, there was no significant difference (p = 0.258). In the Jollab group, FSS decreased significantly (p = 0.000), while in the placebo group, it slightly decreased (p = 0.096). CFS physical and cognitive subscales also showed improvement of fatigue in the Jollab group compared to the placebo group (p < 0.05), but affective subscale score did not show a significant change after the intervention in both groups (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Jollab beverage has significant positive effects on reducing fatigue in women with breast cancer. However, larger-scale trials with further sample size and longer period of the intervention are needed to confirm and develop our preliminary findings.

The application of a phycocyanin extract obtained from Arthrospira platensis as a blue natural colorant in beverages

Currently, the food additive industry has interest in replacing artificial dyes with natural pigments, trying to maintain consumer interest and increase their awareness towards healthy diets. Phycobiliproteins are light-harvesting and water-soluble proteins extracted from cyanobacteria and red algae that can be employed as natural additives. In the present work, a C-phycocyanin extract from the cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis was tested as blue colorant in beverages to demonstrate that samples containing the protein extract have a color similar to marketed beverages containing synthetic dyes. Using spectroscopy and colorimetry, the extract was characterized and gave evidence of having good properties and good stability in the pH range between 3.0 and 9.0. The staining factors, representing the amount of blue protein needed to reproduce the color of bluish commercial samples, ranged between 15.6 and 111.7 mg·L−1, being sufficiently low in all samples. Additionally, color stability during a short period of cold storage was studied: it demonstrated that isotonic and tonic beverages remained stable throughout the 11-days analysis period with no significant changes. These results prove that the C-phycocyanin extract has potential applications in food as natural colorant, being an alternative option to synthetic coloring molecules.

Review: Just the Tonic: A Natural History of Tonic Water, by Kim Walker and Mark Nesbitt

The next time you sip your gin and tonic, spare a thought for Doña Francisca Henríques de Ribera, countess of Chinchón and wife of the viceroy of Peru. When the beautiful countess lay languishing and feverish on her deathbed sometime around 1630, she was given a dose of a local “fever bark” and, surprisingly, recovered. So thankful was she for this miraculous cure that, the story goes, she returned to Spain to dispense the bark to the suffering of Europe. It may all sound somewhat fanciful, but the story was enough for the Swedish botanist Linnaeus to name both the tree and the genus after the countess (although he managed to drop the first “h” in the process, so it became Cinchona). It is the bark of the cinchona tree, and the powerful antimalarial quinine compounds it contains, that is famously the bitter flavoring in tonic water. Of course this did not happen overnight; the history of the links between cinchona, quinine, malaria, tonic water, and gin are much more complex and more fascinating than one might suspect, as Just the Tonic shows.Like all the best books focusing on single foods or drinks, the fun is in the broader contextualization. Together, co-authors Kim Walker (student of the history of plant medicines) and Mark Nesbitt (curator of the Economic Botany Collection at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London) open up a series of different worlds to introduce us to the history of tonic water. They explore the nature of malaria and the slow voyage of discovery that led to the understanding of its transmission. We are also treated to a natural history of the tree itself, which, from the seventeenth century, was in great demand in Europe for treating fevers of all sorts. Indeed, when the Parisian pharmacist Auguste Delondre first set eyes on a specimen in the Peruvian Andes, he remarked: “That magnificent tree. For so long I had seen it in my dreams and now it was before me” (p.11). Long before the nature and causation of malaria were understood (early in the twentieth century) and long before the workings of quinine in blocking the actions of the malaria-causing parasite in the blood were appreciated (even now not perfectly understood), cinchona and its derivative quinine were being taken as both “preservative” and treatment for malaria.Just the Tonic brings together three strands to tell a single story, mixing well-informed historical narrative and quirky anecdote. While the first part of the book focuses on quinine and its use against malaria, the second explores the cultural history of the most popular medium for administering the drug; that is, via carbonated water. In the process, we are treated to a (very) brief history of medicinal mineral waters, the rise of “aerated” or soda waters from the late eighteenth century, and the proliferation of “restorative” and “medicinal” tonic beverages—some highly alcoholic, others directed at the temperance movement—in the nineteenth century. These drinks were promoted, variously, as preventives, cures, and convalescent remedies; as stimulants either to the appetite (aperitifs) or to the digestion (digestives); and, eventually, as medicinal “tonics” and refreshing drinks in tropical climes.The third and final part recounts the history of gin, in particular in its combination with tonic. This is perhaps better known, but the authors nonetheless manage to relate some curious occurrences along the way, such as the technologies used in procuring the necessary ice in the pre-refrigeration age. Throughout, the authors have aimed for a “magazine” style of presentation, with short articles and even shorter text-boxes inserted at regular intervals. If the overall impression is on the erratic side, this approach does have the virtue of allowing them to cover a wide range of topics. The asides are distracting but frequently fascinating (in a frustrating sort of way). Just as one is coming to grips with the wide array of cinchona species that nineteenth-century naturalists had to grapple with, one’s attention is drawn by a small text-box on the accidental invention of the color mauve (on page 46, if you are curious). In any case, the book is beautifully produced. It abounds with magnificent and sometimes surprising illustrations, all carefully chosen, coming from the unparalleled collections of Kew Gardens and the Wellcome Collection, both in London.

Development of a Green Alternative Vortex-Assisted Dispersive Liquid–Liquid Microextraction Based on Natural Hydrophobic Deep Eutectic Solvents for the Analysis of Phthalate Esters in Soft Drinks

A new green alternative vortex-assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction method based on a natural hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent was developed for the extraction of 14 phthalic acid esters and one adipate in cold infusions and tonic waters. Analyses were carried out using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. Different eutectic mixtures based on the monoterpene thymol (essential oil of thyme) and medium-chain fatty acids (octanoic and decanoic acids) at different molar ratios were tested in this regard. The effect of different factors affecting extraction efficiency was optimized through a systematic approach. The method was validated by means of precision, matrix-matched calibration, recovery, and repeatability studies using two different deuterated surrogate standards (dibutyl phthalate-3,4,5,6-d4 and dihexyl phthalate-3,4,5,6-d4). The method proved to be linear (determination coefficients were higher than 0.9912) with normalized recoveries in the range between 71 and 124% (except for di-n-octyl phthalate at a low concentration level in tonic water [63%]). Then, the method was applied for the analysis of the selected compounds in 3 pineapple/green tea-based cold infusions and 8 tonic beverages. Finally, the greenness of the procedure was assessed using the Analytical Eco-Scale. This paper represents the first application of this natural hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent for the analysis of phthalate esters, and, also the first time, these compounds are analyzed in cold infusion and tonic water.

National beverages in a healthy diet system

Migration of people with different ethnic and cultural origins observed during past decade worldwide resulted in the introduction of national beverages into food markets. In this study, we have investigated and critically appraised properties and marketing potential of the Kyrgyz-Kazakh beverage Maksim. This national non-alcoholic beverage is produced by mixed fermentation of milk in the presence of fried cereal such as barley, proso millet, oats, and corn. Pure cultures of lactic acid bacteria are used as a leaven for fermentation. Maksim is used as a thirst-quenching and tonic beverage. It could be also considered as functional food. While being dense, it serves as an excellent source of nutrients, fiber, vitamins, microelements, and other biologically active ingredients that offer health benefits that extend beyond basic nutrition. However, this beverage is not recommended for those affected by gluten sensitivity disorders. Here, we reviewed a number of different national beverages, assess physico-chemical properties of Maksym, and evaluate marketing strategies for the introduction of this beverage to Russian food markets. Although being unfamiliar to most of Russian consumers, this beverage is of interest due to its nutritional and thirst-quenching properties, and that a better advertisement strategies are needed to advance this healthy drink to food market. These strategies could include tasting, explanation of production process, historical and cultural origins of this beverage to general public.

An enquiry into antileishmanial activity and quantitative analysis of polyhydroxylated steroidal saponins from Solanum paniculatum L. leaves

Solanum paniculatum L. is species whose fruits are widely consumed in Brazil as a tonic beverage with higher content of steroidal saponins. In this work, we developed an analytical method for the quantification of the eight saponins present in the 70 % ethanol extract from the leaves using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS). Besides, the eight spirostanic saponins were screened for in vitro antileishmanial activity against promastigote and amastigote forms of Leishmania (L.) amazonensis. Substances 1, 2 and 3 were found to be the most active compounds, with inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 8.51 ± 4.38, 10.75 ± 6.85 and 10.45 ± 4.21 μM, respectively, against promastigote forms and effective concentration (EC50) values of >25, 17.73 ± 0.99 and 19.57 ± 0.84 μM, respectively, against amastigote forms. The cytotoxic test with compounds 1–3 evidenced low toxicity in murine macrophage cells, with values above 50 μM at concentration lower than 25 μM. These findings show that saponins 1–3 should be evaluated in further studies for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis.

A fluorescence digital image-based method using a 3D-printed platform and a UV-LED chamber made of polyacid lactic for quinine quantification in beverages

A digital image-based (DIB) method for fluorometric detection was developed using an ultraviolet (UV) chamber and a spot test platform made with a 3D printer. A smartphone was used as the detector to quantify quinine in commercial tonic beverage samples. The free OpenSCAD CAD program and a Prusa i3 3D printer were used for the construction of the chamber and the spot test platform. The platform was made of polyacid lactic (PLA), where each one of the 25-wells has a maximum volume of 280 µL. The 3D-printed UV chamber was irradiated by four high brightness UV light emitting diodes (LED) with a maximum emission wavelength at 370 nm, which is required for the excitation of quinine molecules. The fluorescence signals based on the Red (R), Green (G) and Blue (B) data were simultaneously obtained from each well of the 3D-platform using the open source ImageJ software and its Readplate plugin. The B channel presented higher fluorescence intensity (FI) and was described by following analytical curve: FIB = (58.03 ± 2.75) × [QN] − (2.90 ± 3.89), with r2 = 0.991 for the linear range from 1.54 × 10−6 to 1.39 × 10−5 mol L−1. The limits of detection and quantification were 6.9 × 10−8 and 2.3 × 10−7 mol L−1, respectively. The relative standard deviation ranged from 0.25% to 1.52%. The fluorescence DIB method was in close agreement with the fluorometric method used as reference at a 95% confidence level. In addition, an analytical frequency of 10 analysis min−1, a low chemical consumption, high portability, and low-cost of acquisition and maintenance are the main features of the proposed method. Thus, the methodology developed here can be widely used in food process control as a much more economical and accessible analytical tool.

Towards an automated economic assessment of innovative projects for the production of tonic Beverages

Over the past five years, in the country and in the world there has been an increase in the production and consumption of non-alcoholic tonic drinks (NTD). Representatives of various scientific schools are developing new NTD formulations. The regional characteristics of the used plant raw materials with a tonic effect are taken into account. The priority task of the food industry is to carry out activities aimed at making healthy food products, taking into account not only the traditions and habits of the population, but also the cost-effectiveness of introducing them into production. The paper considers the requirements of regulatory documentation for raw materials, elaborates the technological scheme of NTD production, describes the requirements for labeling and packaging of the finished drink. Introducing new technologies into production is an expensive process. The aim of the work is a preliminary automated assessment of the economic efficiency of an investment project for the production of NTD based on new recipes. The specified assessment is carried out from the point of view of traditional indicators of project efficiency, using the Karma optimization software package, which allows identifying the economic potential and finding the optimal characteristics of investment, production, financial activities of investment and production projects. The influence of the key indicator of the project (the market price of a unit of production) on the main indicators of the effectiveness of the investment project is studied. The life cycle is analyzed and the economic potential of the investment project is revealed through the use of an optimization mathematical model. The dependence of the net present value of the project on the planning horizon is described with a variation in the market unit price parameter. High characteristics of the economic efficiency of the investment project are obtained. Practical recommendations are given on sales markets, production technology, implementation of investment projects related to the production of NTD «Wild Cat».

Competitiveness Assessment of Tonic Drinks Labeling

Labeling of alcoholic-free tonic beverages (AFTB) is an important element in the quality indicators system. Not all manufacturers, unfortunately, provide reliable information regarding the possible adverse effects of its use, or even hide data on low-quality products. There is a need for high-quality information AFTB support in the form of properly designed labeling, which facilitates the buyer choice while purchasing. The research purpose is to assess the labeling competitiveness of tonic drinks sold in the Kemerovo market. The study object is AFTB labeling: Drive, Tornado Energy Ice, E-ON Citrus Punch, Adrenaline Rush, Gorilla, Flash up. Research methods are visual product packaging inspection, registration method, expert assessments method (determining the weight coefficients), calculation method. First of all, researchers developed an evaluation algorithm. Points number detailing was due to the available additional information about the products safety. A man assessed labeling according to consumer criteria in keeping with the previously developed scale; while labeling according to group consumer criteria considering the weighting coefficients determined via the expert assessments method by ranking the previous studies results. The AFTB assessment was according to four criteria considering given score scale. Labeling of the tonic beverage Drive deserved the highest score (19.5 scores), Flash Up got the smallest (16.8 scores). Uncompetitive beverages in economic terms are Adrenaline Rush (1.048 scores), E-ON Citrus Punch (1.167 scores) and Flash Up (1.670 scores). The authors determined integral indicators and the competitiveness level of AFTB labeling. According to the obtained results, Tornado Energy Ice and Adrenaline Rush rated the 1st class competitiveness, Drive – the 2nd class, E-ON Citrus Punch, Gorilla and Flash Up – the 4th class. According to the economic criterion, these samples received minimal scores, that characterized it as uncompetitive in this parameter. The paper contains the recommendations for manufacturers to improve the quality and tonic beverages competitiveness

Drink the Duchess: marketing challenges and opportunities encountered when SMEs internationalise

Learning outcomes The learning outcomes are as follows: first, identify the characteristics of born-global SMEs, and how these characteristics facilitate their global expansion shortly after the company’s inception. Second, demonstrate that companies work with limited resources, typically and notably newly established companies, and that these resources should be allocated according to a carefully determined strategy. The resources focussed on in this case pertain to marketing. Third, examine entrepreneurial marketing and its various manifestations. An understanding of how this type of marketing is used by companies for international expansion is expected. Fourth, assess the role of digital marketing and how social media forms an important part of digital marketing. Particular attention is paid to the use of digital marketing, notably social media, in international expansion. Fifth, develop critical thinking skills with respect to strategic business decisions, such as whether to expand a business into foreign markets or to consolidate locally; and how best to penetrate foreign markets, given the nuances and complexities specific to these markets. Case overview/synopsis This teaching case is about The Duchess, a recently developed and launched virgin alcohol-free and sugar-free gin and tonic beverage. The adult soft drink was originally launched in South Africa, and just 18 months later became available in international markets (the UK and Belgium). The founders and protagonists of the case, Johannes le Roux and Inus Smuts, face the dilemmas of creating a competitive local brand while also looking to access new markets and internationalise as a born-global firm. Complexity academic level The target audience for this case comprises students enrolled in tertiary business education programmes who have already had some sort of work experience and hands-on exposure to real-world business. MBA and EMBA students, as well as those enrolled in post-graduate studies specific to marketing, international commerce and entrepreneurship, would be suitable candidates. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes. Subject code CSS 8: Marketing

Sports and energy drinks

Presently, sports and energy drinks are widely spread not only among athletes, but also among ordinary people of different ages. The purpose of these beverages is to effectively compensate for the loss of water, energy and electrolytes in the human body before or after some exhausting activities. A questionnaire survey on energy drinks conducted in all eight federal districts of the Russian Federation shows that the younger groups of the Russian population (aged 12–17 and 18–30) drink tonic beverages more often than the older groups (aged 31–45 and 45–60). Further, a recent rise in unreasonable consumption of sports and energy drinks among teenagers may lead to various diseases: obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and tooth enamel erosion. Finally, the authors analyse the composition of energy beverages and thoroughly describe each of their main components (L-carnitine, creatine, caffeine, taurine, and juice-containing products). These components are used by athletes due to their effects: L-carnitine helps reduce the signs of physical and mental overstrain, and stimulates working capacity; creatine improves endurance and anaerobic activity; caffeine raises aerobic endurance by increasing the oxidation of fats, thereby helping preserve glycogen in the muscles; taurine plays an important role as an antioxidant protector in the regulation of Ca++ transport, and as a regulator of osmotic pressure in the tissues.

Assessment of the phenolic content, mutagenicity and genotoxicity of ethanolic extracts of stem bark and leaves from Strychnos pseudoquina A. St.-hil

Strychnos pseudoquina is a plant species whose stem bark is used as bitter tonic beverage. The phytochemical analysis, as well as quantification of phenolic constituents and antioxidant activity of ethanolic extracts from S. pseudoquina stem bark, and leaves were conducted. The extracts were tested for mutagenicity (Ames test) and DNA-damaging activity (Plasmid Cleavage test). Leaves recorded the largest amount of flavonoids. The performed high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) showed flavonoids such as isorhamnetin and strychnobiflavone (phytochemical markers of the investigated species) in stem barks, but not in leaves. The proanthocyanidin content and antioxidant activity were significantly higher in stem barks than in leaves. Stem bark and leaf extracts presented mutagenic activity against TA98 and TA100 strains with, and without, metabolic activation (S9). The Plasmid Cleavage test did not indicate DNA-damaging activity. Our results suggest that extracts deriving from S. pseudoquina should be used with extreme caution, mainly the stem bark extract, which is widely used in folk medicine.

ЭКСПЕРИМЕНТАЛЬНОЕ ДОКАЗАТЕЛЬСТВО БЕЗОПАСНОСТИ ТОНИЗИРУЮЩИХ НАПИТКОВ НА РАСТИТЕЛЬНОМ СЫРЬЕ

ЭКСПЕРИМЕНТАЛЬНОЕ ДОКАЗАТЕЛЬСТВО БЕЗОПАСНОСТИ ТОНИЗИРУЮЩИХ НАПИТКОВ НА РАСТИТЕЛЬНОМ СЫРЬЕ

ТЕОРЕТИЧЕСКИЕ ПОЗИЦИИ СОВРЕМЕННОГО СПОРТИВНОГО ПИТАНИЯ И ИХ ПРАКТИЧЕСКАЯ РЕАЛИЗАЦИЯ

sport results and maintaining health are considered. Conditions for the application of sport nutrition products for solving specific problems in the field of sport nutritional science are formulated. A new group of the considered products is developed, including biologically active supplements (BAS) and tonic beverages for highly skilled ski orienteers, swimmers, bicyclists and biathletes. Prescription formulas and technologies for producing dry beverages and tableted forms are scientifically proved. Reduced parameters of technological processes: granulation at a temperature of no higher than 40 °С, drying of granules at a temperature no higher than 60 °С, and insignificant duration of the process provide high preservation of biologically active components and their functional orientation. The developed products have been tested in manufacturing conditions at enterprises certified within the requirements of international standards and the GMP rules. The results of clinical trials of the developed products are obtained by their use in the diet of highly qualified athletes and study of indicators that characterize functional state of body and health in different periods of competitive activity. The results of the research showed that inclusion of BAS in the basic diet of athletes provides an increase in the volume and intensity of training, promotes an increase of emotional and volitional upsurge in the period of competitive activity. Mechanism of nutritional support of an organism within the preparatory, competitive and recovery periods is considered. It includes energy supply, endocrine regulation, activation of anabolic processes, improvement of vascular condition and tonus of the nervous system, increased immunity, digestion, electrolyte, amino acid-protein and fat metabolism, and supply of vitamins and minerals. Research materials allowed determining the area of using the sport nutrition products intended to improve work capacity and preserve health.

DNA barcoding of Schisandraceae in Korea

The establishment of a DNA barcode database at the regional scale and assessments of the utility of DNA barcodes are crucial for conservation biology and for the sustainable utilization of biological resources. Schisandraceae is a small family consisting of ca. 45 species. It contains many economically important species, such as Schisandra chinensis, which is widely used as a source in tonic beverages and in oriental medicine. In Korea, three species, S. chinensis, S. repanda, and Kadsura japonica, are distributed. We evaluated the level of variation of the DNA sequences of rbcL, matK, and the ITS regions from 13 accessions representing the distributional range of the three species. The three DNA barcode regions were easily amplified and sequenced. The minimum values of the interspecific genetic distances among S. chinensis, S. repanda, and K. japonica either separately or in combination are 4- to 23-fold higher than the maximum value of the intraspecific distance, showing that there is a clear DNA barcoding gap in the regions for Korean Schisandraceae. Phylogenetic analyses of the three DNA barcode regions, separately and simultaneously, indicate that all of the DNA barcode regions are useful for identifying a species of Schisandraceae in Korea. The distinctiveness of the three species of Schisandraceae was also supported at the species level when Chinese and Japanese populations were added. The results of this study indicate that three concatenated regions constitute the best option for DNA barcoding in Schisandraceae in Korea.

Preparative isolation, quantification and antioxidant activity of dihydrochalcones from Sweet Tea (Lithocarpus polystachyus Rehd.).

Dihydrochalcones are the main active components of Lithocarpus polystachyus Rehd. (Sweet Tea), they are directly related to the sweet tonic beverage and traditional herb. In this work, two runs of preparative high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) with a two-phase solvent system composed of n-hexane/ethyl acetate/ethanol/water (1:4:3:4, v/v) were employed to separate three dihydrochalcones (phloridzin, trilobatin and phloretin) from Sweet Tea. About 6.4mg of phloridzin, 48.4mg of trilobatin, and 4.7mg of phloretin with purities of 96.7%, 98.4% and 98.1% were obtained from 130mg of the crude Sweet Tea extract. Phloridzin, trilobatin, and phloretin had effective radical scavenging activities, with IC50 values of 866.80, 20.16 and 179.47μg/mL, respectively, in a 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical method. The contents of phloridzin, trilobatin and phloretin in dried old leaves and tender leaves of tea were in the range of 10.1-18.0, 113.7-128.8, 3.6-4.3mg/g and 9.3-9.8, 82.9-103.1, 1.9-2.5mg/g, respectively. The results indicated that the HPLC had good precision, accuracy and repeatability for the determination of three dihydrochalcones in samples.