Quantitative Analysis of Saponins in a Tea-Leaf Extract and Their Antihypercholesterolemic Activity

Yoko MATSUI; Keiko KOBAYASHI; Hideki MASUDA; Hideo KIGOSHI; Makoto AKAO; Hidetoshi SAKURAI; Hitomi KUMAGAI

doi:10.1271/bbb.90003

Food & Nutrition Science Regular Papers

Quantitative Analysis of Saponins in a Tea-Leaf Extract and Their Antihypercholesterolemic Activity

Yoko MATSUI, Keiko KOBAYASHI, Hideki MASUDA, Hideo KIGOSHI, Makoto AKAO, Hidetoshi SAKURAI, Hitomi KUMAGAI

Author information

Keywords: tea leaf, saponin, antihypercholesterolemic activity, cholesterol, liquid chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC/TOF-MS)

JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2009 Volume 73 Issue 7 Pages 1513-1519

DOI https://doi.org/10.1271/bbb.90003

View "Advance Publication" version (July 7, 2009).

Details

Abstract

A novel simple method using liquid chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC/TOF-MS) and LC/UV was established for the quantification of saponins in an extract from green tea leaves. The amount of saponins in a fraction with high in vitro antihypercholesterolemic activity, Fr2-3, was determined to be 72%. An in vivo experiment showed that the addition of 0.5% Fr2-3 to a high-cholesterol diet suppressed the increase in serum cholesterol levels in rats. Fr2-3 induced a decrease in the liver cholesterol and triglyceride levels and an increase in the fecal excretion of cholesterol. These results indicate tea-leaf saponins to be the active components in Fr2-3 and that these saponins exhibited antihypercholesterolemic activity by inhibiting cholesterol absorption in the intestines.

Corresponding author

Register with J-STAGE for free!