Antioxidant and antidiabetic activity of proanthocyanidins from Fagopyrum dibotrys. - GreenMedInfo Summary

Proanthocyanidins are natural glycosidase inhibitors with excellent antioxidant activity. This study aims to search for a new source of proanthocyanidins for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes with higher content and better activity and get their structure elucidated. First, the total proanthocyanidins contents (TOPCs), antioxidant activity, antidiabetic activity of seven common Polygonaceae plants were analyzed and compared. Then proanthocyanidins from the rhizome ofwere purified, and the detailed structure was comprehensively analyzed by ultraviolet visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR),C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (C NMR), reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry (RP-HPLC-ESI-MS), and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). The rhizome ofshowed the highest TOPCs, the strongest antioxidant, and antidiabetic activities; the TOPCs, antioxidant and antidiabetic activities were all very significantly positively correlated. Proanthocyanidins purified from the rhizome ofshowed better antidiabetic activity than grape seed proanthocyanidins (GsPs). Seventy-two proanthocyanidins from trimer to undecamer with a mean degree of polymerization (mDP) of about 5.02± 0.21 were identified with catechin and epicatechin as the dominant monomers. Conclusion: Proanthocyanidins are the main antioxidant and antidiabetic active substances ofand are expected to be developed into potential antioxidant and hypoglycemic products.