A comparative study on aqueous root extracts of Pueraria thomsonii and Pueraria lobata by antioxidant assay and HPLC fingerprint analysis.
The roots of Pueraria thomsonii and Pueraria lobata are officially recorded in Chinese Pharmacopoeia under the same name Radix Puerariae. However, the aqueous root extract of Pueraria lobata showed more potent antioxidant activity than that of Pueraria thomsonii. A qualitative HPLC method was developed to compare the chemical profiles of Pueraria thomsonii and Pueraria lobata, which revealed four major common peaks (daidzein 1, daidzin 2, puerarin 3 and 5-hydroxypuerarin 4) and two major different peaks (3-hydroxypuerarin 5 and 3'-methoxypuerarin 6) in their chromatograms. Semi-quantitative analysis showed that the contents of 1-3 in Pueraria lobata are about three, three, and five times higher than those of Pueraria thomsonii, respectively. The higher contents of isoflavonoids in Pueraria lobata were inferred to be responsible for its more potent antioxidant activity as compared with that of Pueraria thomsonii. The HPLC method developed in this study and chemical markers 1-6 can be used for the rapid identification and evaluation of Radix Puerariae herbs and their aqueous supplements, and the results of this investigation support the use of Pueraria lobata and Pueraria thomsonii in the clinic application and as dietary supplement, respectively.
Jiang
Ren-Wang
RW
Department of Biochemistry and Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, PR China.
Lau
Kit-Man
KM
Lam
Hung-Ming
HM
Yam
Wing-Sze
WS
Leung
Lai-Kin
LK
Choi
Kam-Lin
KL
Waye
Mary M Y
MM
Mak
Thomas C W
TC
Woo
Kam-Sang
KS
Fung
Kwok-Pui
KP
D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005609:Free Radicals / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D006461:Hemolysis; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007529:Isoflavones / Q000737:chemistry; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry*; D029908:Pueraria; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014867:Water
D000975:Antioxidants; D005609:Free Radicals; D007529:Isoflavones; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014867:Water