β-ecdysone content and antioxidant capacity in different organs of Brazilian ginseng

ABSTRACT: Plants that contain antioxidant compounds have attracted increasing interest for their vital role in the attenuation of oxidative damage caused by free radicals and in the treatment of various diseases. The present study investigated the β-ecdysone content and the antioxidant activity of Brazilian ginseng (Pfaffia glomerata) extracts obtained from inflorescences, stems, and roots. The P. glomerata extracts were tested for antioxidant activity using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging method, β-carotene bleaching test, and phosphomolybdenum method. The β-ecdysone content of P. glomerata extracts was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The P. glomerata inflorescences showed the strongest DPPH radical scavenging activity and the strongest antioxidant activity in the β-carotene bleaching assay and phosphomolybdenum test. The roots showed the lowest antioxidant capacity in all of the assays. The concentration of β-ecdysone in the plant organs followed the following decreasing order: inflorescences > stems > roots. The present study showed that P. glomerata inflorescence extract had high antioxidant capacity that could be attributed to the presence of β-ecdysone.

摘要：富含抗氧化成分的植物因其对自由基引起的氧化损伤的缓解作用以及治疗各种疾病的重要作用，而日益受到关注。本研究旨在探究巴西人参（Pfaffia glomerata）的花序、茎和根提取物中的β-蜕皮激素含量及其抗氧化活性。通过2,2-二苯基-1-吡啶基自由基（DPPH）清除法、β-胡萝卜素褪色试验和磷钼酸法对P. glomerata提取物进行了抗氧化活性测试。β-蜕皮激素含量通过高效液相色谱法（HPLC）进行测定。结果表明，P. glomerata的花序在DPPH自由基清除活性、β-胡萝卜素褪色试验和磷钼酸测试中表现出最强的抗氧化活性，而根部在所有测试中显示出最低的抗氧化能力。植物器官中β-蜕皮激素的浓度依次为：花序 > 茎 > 根。本研究表明，P. glomerata的花序提取物具有高抗氧化能力，这可归因于其中β-蜕皮激素的存在。