秋葵,錦葵科(Malvaceae)、秋葵屬(Abelmoschus),原產非洲東北部衣索比亞、埃及及加勒比海一帶或熱帶亞洲,台灣產地分布在彰化、雲林、嘉義等縣境內。文獻指出,秋葵具有抗腫瘤癌症、抗氧化、抑菌性、抗過敏、降血糖以及降膽固醇等生理活性。目前已分離出的秋葵多酚類化合物,包括兒茶素(Catechin)、沒食子兒茶素(Epigallocatechin)、東茛萣素(Scopoletin) 、槲皮素(Quercetin)、楊梅黃酮(Myricetin)、異鼠李素(Isorhamnetin)、山柰酚(Kaempferol)等。本研究利用市場所販售之秋葵,乾燥後均質粉碎,以甲醇進行索式萃取,將萃取液減壓濃縮後以水回溶,再以n-Hexane進行萃取,分為Hexane層(HL)及水層。水層使用HP-20進行吸附,再分為HP-20不吸附(NA)與HP-20吸附(BA)兩類。HL、NA及BA在秋葵粉末中含量分別為(w/w):3.29±0.77%、17.64±2.61%及0.92±0.34%。BA再一次以HP-20吸附並以50% Methanol脫附之fraction (BAF-5),透過LH-20以及半製備HPLC純化,從中得到BAC-1成分。經由MS測定BAC-1,推測其結構可能為Quercetin-hexose。而生物活性實驗中發現,抗氧化能力以BA為最佳,濃度在400 g/mL時之DPPH清除率為60.89±3.38%;降血糖活性測試,以HL對於-glucosidase有極顯著抑制的效果,濃度在50 g/mL時抑制率可達81.55±3.60%,且HL也表現出與PPAR-有親合度之效果,濃度在100 mg/mL時,親合度為16.24±1.84%,BA對於-glucosidase也有抑制效果(11.57±1.14%),但濃度須達到400 mg/mL以上,NA則在生物活性表現上皆不顯著。
Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench) is originally from Ethiopia, Egypt, Caribbean, and tropical Asia. In Taiwan, it is found mainly in Changhua, Yunlin, and Chiayi County. Okra has an anti-tumor cancer, antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-allergy, blood sugar/cholesterol lowering, and other Bioactivity. The polyphenolic compounds predominate in Okra namely, catechin, epigallocatechin, scopoletin, quercetin, myricetin, isorhamnetin, and kaempferol. In this study, the dried okra was homogenized and pulverized sample was extracted with methanol using a Soxhlet. The concentrated extract was then evaporated under reduced pressure. The sample was resuspended in water and further extract with n-hexane. The hexane layer (HL) and the aqueous layer with HP-20 nonadsorption fraction (NA) and HP-20 adsorption fraction (BA) were obtained. The content (w/w) in the okra for HL, NA, and BA were 3.29±0.77%, 17.64±2.61% and 0.92±0.34%, respectively. The BA fraction was readsorption by HP-20 and desorption with 50% methanol (BAF-5), followed by LH-20, and semi-preparative HPLC purification. Ultimately, a pure fraction was obtained (BAC-1) from BAF-5. The BAC-1 could be a Quercetin-hexose as estimated from MS analysis. Furthermore, the BA exhibited the best antioxidant capacity for DPPH free radical. The scavenging activity was found to be 60.89±3.38% at 400 g/mL level. The HL, on the other hand, revealed a significant hypoglycemic activity as a resulted from -glucosidase inhibitory assay (81.55±3.60%) at a concentration of 50 g/mL. The HL also demonstrated a PPAR- affinity (16.24±1.84%) at a concentration of 100 g/mL. In addition, BA also observed a -glucosidase inhibitory efficiency (11.57±1.14%), as the concentration over 400 mg/mL. The NA has no any significant activity from above tests.