Comparison of the Chemical Profiles and Antioxidant and Antidiabetic Activities of Extracts from Two Ganoderma Species (Agaricomycetes).

The objective of this study was to compare the mycochemical profiles, antioxidant activities, and antidiabetic effects of 2 species of genus Ganoderma, the red lingzhi (G. lucidum) and purple lingzhi (G. sinense) mushrooms. In Chinese medicinal practice, hot water and ethanol are used as solvents to extract samples. In this study, a total of 4 extracts (ethanol and hot water extracts from G. lucidum and G. sinense) were prepared for further assays. Hot water extracts presented much higher values for total phenolic content and ferric-reducing antioxidant power than the ethanol extracts. Ethanol (70%) extract of G. lucidum had the strongest α-glycosidase inhibitory capacity, but the lingzhi polysaccharides showed no inhibitory effect. It also had the largest amount of total ganoderic acids. The results indicated that ethanol extracts from both G. lucidum and G. sinense showed better antidiabetic effects than the hot water extracts. Ganoderic acids, rather than polysaccharides, may contribute the antidiabetic effects of both the Ganoderma species.

Phytochemical distribution in hull and cotyledon of adzuki bean (Vigna angularis L.) and mung bean (Vigna radiate L.), and their contribution to antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic activities.

Total saponin content, total phenolics content, total flavonoids content, condensed tannin content in hull, cotyledon and whole grain of both adzuki bean and mung bean were determined by colorimetric methods. Vitexin and isovitexin contents in mung bean were determined by HPLC. Antioxidant effects were evaluated with DPPH scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power assay. In vitro anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic effects of beans were evaluated by protease and aldose reductase inhibitory assays, respectively. The results indicated that the bean hulls were the most abundant in phytochemicals and largely contributed antioxidant activities, anti-inflammatory effects and anti-diabetic effects of whole grains. The result showed that mung bean hull was the most abundant with vitexin at 37.43 mg/g and isovitexin at 47.18 mg/g, respectively. Most of the phytochemicals and bioactivities were most predominantly contributed by the bean hulls with exception for condensed tannin of mung bean; which was more abundant in the cotyledon than its hull.

Active substances and in vitro anti-diabetic effects of a traditional folk remedy Bian-Que Triple-Bean Soup as affected by the boiling time.

Bian-Que Triple-Bean Soup (Bian-Que San Dou Yin in Chinese) is a folk remedy which has been used for thousands of years in the practices of traditional Chinese medicine. The objectives of the current study were aimed to determine in vitro anti-diabetic effects and to find out the optimal cooking time for retaining active substances. α-Glycosidase in vitro inhibitory capacities and DPPH free radical scavenging capacities, and contents of active substances including total phenolics, saponin, tannin and monomeric anthocyanin, were determined with colorimetric methods. The results revealed that Bian-Que Triple-Bean Soup boiled for 30 min has the most effective impact on α-glycosidase inhibition. n-Butanol-soluble and water extract fractions showed relatively higher α-glycosidase inhibitory activity (17.4% and 11.2%, respectively) than that (2.56% and 5.32%, respectively) of hexane-soluble and dichloromethane-soluble fractions. Degradation was observed for those thermally unstable substances (TPC, tannin, and anthocyanin) by extending the boiling time; however, there were no obvious changes for thermo-stable substances (saponin).