Antioxidant flavonoid glycosides from the leaves of Ficus pumila L

Cheng Ning Abraham Leong; Masakuni Tako; Isao Hanashiro; Hajime Tamaki

doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2007.12.069

Antioxidant flavonoid glycosides from the leaves of Ficus pumila L

Food Chem. 2008 Jul 15;109(2):415-20. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2007.12.069. Epub 2008 Jan 12.

Authors

Cheng Ning Abraham Leong¹, Masakuni Tako², Isao Hanashiro³, Hajime Tamaki⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biochemistry and Applied Biosciences, The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Kagoshima University, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara-cho, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan; Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara-cho, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan.
² Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara-cho, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan.
³ Department of Biochemical Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kagoshima University, Korimoto 1-21-24, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan.
⁴ Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara-cho, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan. Electronic address: tamaki34@agr.u-ryukyu.ac.jp.

PMID: 26003366
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2007.12.069

Abstract

The Okinawan folks in Japan use Ficus pumila L. as a beverage or herbal medicine to treat diabetes and high blood pressure. Four flavonoid glycosides were isolated and identified as rutin (1 and 3), apigenin 6-neohesperidose (2), kaempferol 3-robinobioside (4) and kaempferol 3-rutinoside (5). Among these compounds, rutin exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity in DPPH radical scavenging assay and superoxide radical inhibition assay. The preparation of Ooitabi leaves in water provide sufficient amount of flavonoid glycosides to the Okinawan although 50% of aqueous ethanol extracted these flavonoid glycosides more effectively. These results show the potential of Ooitabi leaves as a natural source of antioxidant for health management.

Keywords: Antioxidant; Ficus pumila L.; Flavonoid glycosides.