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. 2022 Nov 28;11(23):3837.
doi: 10.3390/foods11233837.

Evaluation of Chemical Constituents of Litchi Pericarp Extracts and Its Antioxidant Activity in Mice

Ziming Yang  1 , Li Zhang  1 , Yuan-Hang Wu  1 , Dian-Peng Li  1 , Wei Li  2
Affiliations

Evaluation of Chemical Constituents of Litchi Pericarp Extracts and Its Antioxidant Activity in Mice

Ziming Yang et al. Foods. .

Abstract

Litchi pericarp is the main byproduct of litchi processing and contains several polyphenols. However, the chemical constituents and the antioxidant effect in litchi pericarp extracts (LPE) have been rarely studied. The result of the quantitative analyses of the major monomers in LPE indicated that procyanidin A2, procyanidin B2, epicatechin, rutin, and catechin were the major polyphenol compounds of LPE. The LPE exhibited high radical scavenging activity, as indicated by the results of the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ascorbic acid, 2,2'-Azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) tests. Moreover, administrating D-galactose in mice led to the reduced activity of antioxidant enzymes, aggravated lipid peroxidation, and induced protein oxidation. The results were improved in the aging mice after the LPE treatment was performed. The above results suggest that LPE has an excellent antioxidant effect. Accordingly, litchi pericarp can serve as a promising source of dietary antioxidants.

Keywords: antioxidant effect; chemical constituents; litchi pericarp; mice; polyphenols.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
DPPH and ABTS assays of radicals scavenging activity of LPE: (A) DPPH radical scavenging activities; (B) ABTS radical scavenging activities. Values are expressed as the mean of triplicate experiments ± standard error.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Effects of LPE on body weight, organ indexes in aging mice induced by D-galactose: (A) effects of LPE on body weight; (B) effects of LPE on kidney index; (C) effects of LPE on liver index. Values are expressed as mean ± standard error (n = 12 in each group). Values with different superscripts showed a difference with statistical significance, p < 0.05, “a” as a statistical difference compared with the blank control group, “b” as a statistical difference compared with the model group.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Levels of MDA, SOD, GSH and protein carbonyls in serum of mice: (A) MDA content in serum of mice; (B) SOD activity in serum of mice; (C) GSH content in serum of mice; (D) protein carbonyls content in serum of mice. Values are expressed as mean ± standard error (n = 12 in each group). Values with different superscripts showed a difference with statistical significance, p < 0.05, “a” as a statistical difference compared with the blank control group, “b” as a statistical difference compared with the model group.
Figure 4
Figure 4
MDA, SOD, GSH, and protein carbonyls levels in the liver of mice: (A) MDA content in the liver of mice; (B) SOD activity in the liver of mice; (C) GSH contents in the liver of mice; (D) protein carbonyls content in the liver of mice. Values are expressed as mean ± standard error (n = 12 in each group). Values with different superscripts showed a difference with statistical significance, p < 0.05, “a” as a statistical difference compared with the blank control group, “b” as a statistical difference compared with the model group.
Figure 5
Figure 5
MDA, SOD, GSH, and protein carbonyls levels in the kidney of mice: (A) MDA contents in the kidney of mice; (B) SOD activity in the kidney of mice; (C) GSH contents in the kidney of mice; (D) protein carbonyls content in the kidney of mice. Values are expressed as mean ± standard error (n = 12 in each group). Values with different superscripts showed a difference with statistical significance, p < 0.05, “a” as a statistical difference compared with the blank control group, “b” as a statistical difference compared with the model group.
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