Chinese Bulletin of Botany ›› 2014, Vol. 49 ›› Issue (6): 738-750.DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1259.2014.00738

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Recent Advances in Metabolic Products of Flavonoids in Nelumbo

Shanshan Li1,2, Qian Wu1,3, Ruyu Yuan1,3, Shuai Shao1,3, Huijin Zhang1, Liangsheng Wang1*   

  1. 1Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Beijing Botanical Garden, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China;

    2University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China;

    3College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
  • Received:2013-10-30 Revised:2013-12-10 Online:2014-11-01 Published:2014-11-21
  • Contact: Liangsheng Wang

Abstract: Nelumbo plants contain edible and pharmaceutical products; nelumbinis folium, rhizomatis nodus, semen, plumula, receptaculum, and stamen are all used in medicine. The efficacy of the medicine varies greatly between different parts. In total, 61 flavonoids, including 8 anthocyanins, 2 flavonols, 29 flavonol glycosides, 1 flavone, 16 flavone glycosides (13 C-glycosyl flavones) and 5 flavanols, have been identified in various lotus tissues. These flavonoid compounds are widely used in the health-food and medicine industries. This paper summarizes the recent progress in the detection and purification, composition, content and pharmacological studies of flavonoids in different Nelumbo tissues, comprising lotus leaves, petals, stamens, pistils, tori, leaf veins, leaf stalk, flower stalk, seed pods, seed coats, kernels, plumules and rhizome. Petals and stamens possess plentiful quercetin and kaempferol glycosides; quercetin glycosides are dominant components in other tissues except for plumules. Abundant C-glycosyl flavones were identified in plumules. In addition, the total content of flavonoids was significantly high in leaves. HPLC-DAD and HPLC-ESI-MSn are becoming the main detection methods because of their high sensitivity and accuracy. The most effective method for separating and purifying the single compound is high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC). Because of the wide range of biological activities of Nelumbo tissues, including antioxidant, antibiotic, anti-HIV, anti-atherothrombotic, anti-inflammatory and anti-obesity properties, promoting the comprehensive study and development of the nutritional and pharmacodynamic material in each tissue is important.