Effects of High Pressure Steam Processing on Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Activities of Polygonatum kingianum

Objective: To investigate the effects of high-pressure steam heating at different temperatures on the active components of Polygonatum kingianum. Methods: The levels of total sugars, total saponins, total phenols, and flavonoids in five different treatment groups of Polygonatum kingianum (raw Polygonatum kingianum, high-pressure steam-treated Polygonatum kingianum at 105, 120, and 135 ℃, as well as traditionally processed nine steaming nine drying Polygonatum kingianum, which also called 9-9) were determined post-heat processing. Furthermore, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of Polygonatum kingianum in various treatment groups were compared. Additionally, the mass concentration of antioxidant activity-related compounds in Polygonatum kingianum was measured across different treatment groups. Results: The content levels of total saponins, total phenols, and flavonoids exhibited a temperature-dependent increase with rising temperature. At 135 ℃, compared to group 9-9, a 62% increase in total saponin content was observed, along with a 3.5-fold increase in total phenol content and a 2.7-fold increase in flavonoid content. Compared with the control group, the total sugar content decreased by 42.2% at 135 ℃. Subsequent high-pressure steam hot processing significantly enhanced the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of Polygonatum kingianum. The results of the high performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (HPLC-TQXS) indicated that the mass concentrations of niacin, quinic acid, and tanshinol in 135 ℃ group were increased by 3.4 fold, 9.2%, and 1.2 fold compared those in the 9-9 group. Meanwhile, the mass concentrations of isogliquiritin, isoquercitrin, and rutin in the 135 ℃ group were decreased by 13%, 70.90%, and 40.30% respectively compared to those in the 9-9 group. The mass concentration of naringin in the 9-9 group was 24.4 times that of the 135 ℃ group. Conclusion: The active ingredient content of Polygonatum kingianum was enhanced by high-pressure steam hot processing, along with its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. This method was identified as a potential replacement for traditional nine-steaming-and-nine-drying methods through high-temperature precision processing for standardized pharmaceutical applications and industrial-scale production of Polygonatum kingianum.