Background: This research will establish the ultraviolet colorimetric method to determine the total flavonoid content in different species and different parts of Abelmoschus esculentus L.
Materials and methods: We establish the reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatograph (RP-HPLC) method to determine the content of the three flavonoid glycosides in different species and different parts of the A. esculentus. Adopt the NaNO2-Al (NO3)3-NaOH colorimetric method to determine the total flavonoid content; at the same time, adopt the RP-HPLC method to determine the contents of the three flavonoid glycosides. Using the methods of ultraviolet colorimetry and RP-HPLC, we determined and analyzed the total flavonoid content and the content of the three flavonoid glycosides in different species and different parts of A. esculentus.
Results: There are great distribution differences of the total flavonoids and the three flavonoid glycosides in different species and parts of A. esculentus. Among them, the content of the effective constituents in the flower is relatively high, next is in the fruit. In the different species of A. esculentus, the content of the flavonoids of finger relatively high. The HPLC method established in this research is simple and convenient and its results are accurate and reliable. In addition, it has a very good repeatability.
Conclusion: The results provided the reference data for the medicinal use of A. esculentus and it can be used in quality analyzing of its effective constituents.
Keywords: Abelmoschus esculentus; flavonoid glycoside; reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatograph; total flavonoids.