Effects of green extraction solvents on phenolic contents and bioactivities of Persicaria odorata (Lour.) Sojak

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Faculty of Applied Technology, School of Technology, Van Lang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

2 Institute of Biotechnology and Food Technology, Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Abstract

Persicaria odorata (Lour.) Sojak is one of the widely consumed herbs in Southeast Asian countries. It is a popular culinary ingredient in many Asian dishes in part due to its unique pungent flavor. This study aimed to determine phenolics, antioxidant, potential anti-inflammatory activities and inhibition of -glucosidase of P. odorata extracts obtained with ethanol (ET), 80% ethanol (EW) and water (AQ). These extractants had influences on the presence of phytochemical groups (i.e., alkaloids, saponins, tannins and triterpenoids), phenolic contents and bioactivities in the extracts obtained. The 80% ethanol extract had the highest total contents of phenolics (207.59 +/- 14.32 mg GAE/g) and flavonoids (126.00 +/- 7.07 mg QE/g). All the phenolics examined were present in ET and EW while half of them were detected in AQ. The extracts prepared with ethanol and 80% ethanol in general exerted higher antioxidant activity. In addition, ET and EW exhibited the stronger inhibitory effect on alpha-glucosidase (2.44 +/- 0.12 and 2.20 +/- 0.08 mmol ACAE/g, respectively). With respect to in vitro anti-inflammatory activity, ET showed an inhibitory effect against albumin denaturation comparable with that of the 200 ug/mL diclofenac solution. The study provides a better understanding of phytochemicals and potential health endorsing properties of P. odorata, which is helpful for design of new naturally occurring agents for disease prevention and treatment.

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