Simple Method for Preparing Flavonoid-C-Glycoside, Arabinofuranosyl-Vitexin, from Basella alba Leaves and Application of it to Functional Food Materials

Abstract

We first found that arabinofuranosyl-vitexin (AFV) belonging to flavonoid-C-glycoside is highly contained in Basella alba leaves, therefore a simple method was developed for preparing an AFV fraction and evaluating AFV as functional food materials. A fraction containing a high AFV concentration (purity, 62.4％) could be prepared from the leaves by extraction with 80％ ethanol and then adsorption on Diaion HP 20 column. Because Basella alba is traditionally used as a food that suppresses nerve enlargement or promotes sleeping, the effects of AFV (purity, 94％), isolated from the fraction using silica gel column chromatography, was assessed by the thiopental anesthesia test system. After AFV (100 mg /kg) was orally administered to mice, sedative and hypnotic effects were observed, indicating that similar to γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), AFV contained in Basella alba has nerve-stabilizing effects and is useful as functional food materials.