Antioxidant and Anticancer Activities of Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) Leaf and Root

To obtain basic data on the use of lotus as a raw material in functional food, antioxidant and anticancer activities of the leaf and root were investigated. Total flavonoid and total phenolic contents, at 12.84 mg/g and 24.33 mg/g respectively, were higher in white lotus leaf (WLL) than in any other part of the plant. The radical-scavenging activity of different tissues of lotus, measured in the DPPH radical-scavenging assay, increased with higher concentrations of solvent fractions. The butanol fraction of white lotus leaf showed the highest DPPH radical-scavenging activity. The reducing power of fractions increased in a dose-dependent manner. The butanol fraction of WLL had the greatest reducing power, and showed strong antioxidant activity in the linoleic acid system, and high-level inhibition of tyrosinase. Fractions from lotus were also capable of scavenging nitrite, depending on the concentration of the fractions. Butanol fractions of the leaf of white and red lotus scavenged 95.61% and 92.15% of available nitrite, respectively, when used at 1 mg/mL concentrations. Butanol fractions from leaf of white and red lotus exhibited the strongest inhibitory effects on human lung and colon cancer cells.