Analysis and comparison of the active components and antioxidant activities of extracts from Abelmoschus esculentus L

BACKGROUND: Abelmoschus esculentus L. is a healthy vegetable belonging to the family Malvaceae. This article reports the contents of total phenolics (TP) and total flavonoids (TF) in 80% methanol extracts of the flower (FL), fruit (FR), leaf (L), and seed (S) of A. esculentus, and in 0, 10, 30, 50, and 70% methanol eluates (ME), through the HP-20 column chromatography of 80% of the methanol fruit extract after it is defatted with petroleum and extracted with ethyl acetate. All the names of the samples are shortened for AEE-FL, AEE-FR, AEE-L, AEE-S and 0% MEF-WE, 10% MEF-WE, 30% MEF-WE, 50% MEF-WE, 70% MEF-WE respectively. In addition, the effects of the aforementioned extracts on 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging and on ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) have been evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The antioxidant activity of the extracts and the enrichment fraction of A. esculentus were also evaluated by two assays, the DPPH radical-scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). The content measurement of TF and TP adopts the UV-2102 PCS method, and the measurement of the antioxidant activity adopts the Infinite M 200 method. RESULTS: The experiment results show that all the different parts and different enrichment fractions of the water extracts of A. esculentus contain phenolics and flavonoids. Through the research of antioxidant activity we know that all the parts of the methanol extracts and different enrichment fractions of water extracts in the A. esculentus have the effect of scavenging free radicals, among which the antioxidant activity in the 50% MEF-WE part is the strongest. Here, the main components of antioxidant activity must be the flavonoids and phenolics, and furthermore, we know that there is a direct relationship between the contents of flavonoids and phenolics and the antioxidant activity. CONCLUSION: The study suggests that A. esculentus may be the potential rich source of natural antioxidant. The experiment result provided a scientific basis for the further research and development of A. esculentus.