Lotus Flavonoids and Phenolic Acids: Health Promotion and Safe Consumption Dosages

Abstract

Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn., also known as the sacred lotus, is extensively cultivated in Southeast Asia, primarily for food and as an herbal medicine. This article reviews studies published between 1995 and 2017, on flavonoid and phenolic acid profiles and contents of 154 different cultivars of lotus. So far, some 12 phenolic acids and 89 to 90 flavonoids (47 flavonols, 25 to 26 flavons, 8 flavan-3-ols, 4 flavanons, and 5 anthocyanins) have been isolated from different parts of the lotus plant, including its leaves (whole leaf, leaf pulp, leaf vein, and leaf stalk), seeds (seedpod, epicarp, coat, kernel, and embryo), and flowers (stamen, petal, pistil, and stalk), although not all of them have been quantified. Factors affecting flavonoids and phenolic acid profiles, including types of tissues and extracting factors, are discussed in this review, in order to maximize the application of the lotus and its polyphenols in the food industry. Health promotion activities, attributed to the presence of flavonoids and phenolic acids, are described along with toxicology studies, illustrating appropriate usage and safe consumption dosages of lotus extracts. This review also presents the controversies and discusses the research gaps that limit our ability to obtain a thorough understanding of the bioactivities of lotus extracts.

The Effect of Sacred Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) and Its Mixtures on Phenolic Profiles, Antioxidant Activities, and Inhibitions of the Key Enzymes Relevant to Alzheimer’s Disease

“…Nelumbo nucifera or sacred lotus in the Nymphaeceae family is a flowering perennial aquatic plant that grows extensively in Southeast Asia. Historically, the sacred lotus has been used for medicinal purposes as Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine [ 1 ]. In Thailand, the sacred lotus has cultural importance as spiritual a symbol in Buddhism, and economic importance as ornamentation and horticulture to generate income.…”

“…These medicinal applications are the results of high health-promoting compounds, such as phenolic acids and flavonoids [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]. Sacred lotus leaves are rich in alkaloids, essential oils, organic acids, and flavonoids, especially quercetin [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 8 ]. Stamens are abundant in flavonols, including kaempferol, myricetin, quercetin, isorhamnetin, and their glycosides [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 8 ], while flavonoids and anthocyanidins are mostly found in the flowers.…”

“…Sacred lotus leaves are rich in alkaloids, essential oils, organic acids, and flavonoids, especially quercetin [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 8 ]. Stamens are abundant in flavonols, including kaempferol, myricetin, quercetin, isorhamnetin, and their glycosides [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 8 ], while flavonoids and anthocyanidins are mostly found in the flowers. Moreover, alkaloids, procyanidins, polyphenols, and polysaccharides are highly presented in sacred lotus seeds.…”

Effect of ultraviolet treatment on shelf life of fresh lotus root

“…HPLC elution profile of the phenolic extract from lotus roots is shown in Figure 5. Phenolic compounds including gallic acid, gallocatechin, and catechin were eluted at 11, 17, and 31 min, respectively, which were identified in the roots previously (Limwachiranon, Huang, Shi, Li, & Luo, 2018; Yi et al, 2016). Identities of other compounds extracted, as evident from the number of peaks in the chromatogram, were not determined.…”

In vitro and in vivo protective effect of Lotus seedpod extract against acetaminophen-induced liver injury

“…All parts of lotus, including lotus seed, ower, and root, possessed bioactivity and also known as one of the Chinese traditional medicines. Numerous phenolic compounds and alkaloids were identi ed in lotus [1,2]. Lotus seedpod is the by-product of lotus and often discarded during processing Chinese medicine.…”