Analysis of Biochemical Components and Antioxidant Capacity of Indocalamus Leaves of Different Varieties

Objective: To study the contents of functional components and antioxidant capacity of different varieties of Indocalamus leaves in same area. Methods: Using 11 existing species of Indocalamus leaves resources as raw materials, the contents of basic nutrients, flavonoids, polyphenols, polysaccharides, volatile oil and other functional components were evaluated as well as the antioxidant capacity of alcohol extracts. Then the data were analyzed by weight and scored comprehensively. Results: The results showed that there were significant differences among the content of basic nutrients in leaves of different Indocalamus varieties in the same area. The coefficient of variation of four components was 13.93% only for crude protein, and the coefficient of variation among the other three was no more than 10%. Same phenomenon was found in the four functional components as well. The variation coefficients of flavonoids and polyphenols were calculated for 34.47% and 38.04%, 28.03% and 22.36% were for that of polysaccharide and volatile oil contents, in which the difference was smaller than that of flavonoids and polyphenols. Among them, the contents of flavonoids (0.68%) and polyphenols (0.62%) in the leaves of Indocalamus elongatus were the highest. Polysaccharide (0.69%) in leaves of Indocalamus barbatus was the highest. And the content of volatile oil (0.64%) in broad-leaved Indocalamus broad-leaved was the highest. The antioxidant capacity assay indicated that there was indistinctively difference in antioxidant activity among those Indocalamus leaves, and the coefficient of variation among the scavenging rates of DPPH radical, superoxide anion and hydroxyl radical was less than 10%. From the weight analysis containing the content of four functional components and antioxidant activity, the comprehensive score of Indocalamus Tianmu was the highest (0.8108), which might be used as the preferred material for the development and utilization of Indocalamus leaves. From the above studies, this finding would provide an important information for the utilization of Indocalamus leaves.