Food Funct. 2015 Mar;6(3):932-7. doi: 10.1039/c5fo00042d.
- 1Centre for Pharmaceutical Studies, School of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal. mtpmb@ff.uc.pt.
Abstract
Cymbopogon
citratus (lemongrass) leaf infusion, a commonly used ingredient in
Asian, African and Latin American cuisines, is also used in traditional
medicine for the treatment of several pathological conditions; however,
little is known about their bioactive compounds. Recent studies revealed
the crucial role of the phenolic compounds namely flavonoids and
tannins on the infusion bioactivity. Flavonoids have already been
characterized; however the tannin fraction of lemongrass infusion is
still uncharted. The aim of the present work is to characterize this
fraction, and to evaluate its contribution to the antioxidant potential
of this plant. Chemical characterization was achieved by
HPLC-DAD-ESI/tandem MS and the antioxidant activity was evaluated using
DPPH, ABTS and FRAP assays. Hetero-dimeric flavan structures have been
described for the first time in lemongrass consisting of apigeniflavan
or luteoliflavan units linked to a flavanone, either naringenin or
eriodictyol, which may occur as aglycone or glycosylated forms. The
antioxidant capacity of the fraction containing these compounds was
significantly higher than the infusion, indicating its potential as a
source of natural antioxidants
