Antioxidant activities of methanolic and hot-water extracts from leaves of three cultivars of Mai-Men-Dong (Liriope spicata L.)

1,1-dipheny-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activities of the 80% methanolic leaf extracts of three cultivars (small leaf, SL; big leaf, BL; thin leaf, TL) of Mai-Men-Dong (Liriope spicata L.) are analyzed by spectrophotometry. The concentrations required for 50% inhibition (IC 50 ) of DPPH radicals were 81.08, 96.97, and 53.78 μg/mL, respectively. The methanolic extracts were further partitioned into three n-hexane-, ethylacetate-, and water-soluble fractions, among which the ethylacetate-soluble fraction exhibited the highest DPPH scavenging activity. The IC 50 of ethylacetate-soluble fractions of SL, BL, and TL for DPPH radical scavenging activity were 41.55, 24.55, and 53.33 μg/mL, respectively. Each Mai-Men-Dong powder (1 g) was deposited in a tea bag and then dipped in hot water (100°C, 100 mL) for 3 min with triplicate samples. These hot-water extracts were then freeze-dried for an antiDPPH radical capacity test, which found a positive correlation with the phenolic contents of each hot water extract. The IC 50 of hot water extracts of SL, BL, and TL for DPPH radical scavenging activities were 378.97, 171.12, and 95.84 mg/mL, respectively. All three hot water extracts can effectively scavenge hydroxyl radical using electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometry. The IC 50 against hydroxyl radical were 80.8, 69.7, and 116 μg/mL, respectively, for the SL, BL, and TL cultivars.