Phytochemical Screening, Antioxidant and Sperm Viability of Nelumbo nucifera Petal Extracts

• Published in: Plants (Basel) Vol. 10; no. 7; p. 1375
• Main Authors: Laoung-on, Jiraporn, Jaikang, Churdsak, Saenphet, Kanokporn, Sudwan, Paiwan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 05.07.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Acids; Agricultural wastes; agriculture waste; antioxidant; Antioxidants; Drug dosages; Ethanol; Fertility; Flavonoids; Health promotion; Infertility; Lipid peroxidation; Motility; Nelumbo nucifera; Nelumbo nucifera petal; Oxidation; Oxidative stress; Petals; Phenols; Phytochemicals; Prevention; Quercetin; Sperm; sperm viability; Viability; Thailand
• ISSN: 2223-7747; 2223-7747
• DOI: 10.3390/plants10071375

Sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.; N. nucifera) is a common ingredient in traditional medicine and Thai recipes. Its petal is an agricultural waste from stamen production. There are limitations in the used and pharmacological data of the petals resulting in more petals waste. The aims of this study were to investigate the phytochemical contents, antioxidant activity, and potential effects on sperm viability of aqueous (NAE) and ethanolic extracts (NEE) of both red and white N. nucifera petals. The white NAE had the highest total phenolics content, total tannins content and maximal antioxidant activity. The white NEE had the highest concentration of total flavonoids. Quercetin was a major flavonoid and was found in the aqueous extracts. Both red and white of NAE in the range of 0.22 to 1.76 mg/mL increased sperm viability. The white NAE was prominent in phytochemical content, antioxidant activity, and both red and white NAE effectively increased rat sperm viability in the in vitro model. The white NAE enhanced sperm viability by decreasing oxidative stress. It might be suggested that the N. nucifera petals have benefits for sperm viability health promotion and may increase the economic value of agricultural waste.