A review on Extraction of alkaloid from Nelumbo nucifera Embryos and Leaves for Production of Dietary Supplement

Abstract

Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) commonly distributed in low-lying and flooded areas like Southern Vietnam provides flowers, leaves, seeds, embryos, and edible rhizomes. All parts of the plant show good pharmacokinetic properties, especially lotus embryos and leaves. Studies have shown that lotus plums and leaves have many bioactive compounds such as alkaloids, flavonoids, triterpenoids, and polyphenols, in which alkaloids are one of mainly bioactive compound kinds. So that, there are many studies investigating extraction methods that increase the amount of alkaloid from lotus leaves, embryos. There are some conventional extract methods such as soak, heat reflux, Soxhlet, etc… and some modern extract methods as microwave, ultrasounds, enzyme assisted, supercritical fluids (S-CO2). At present, lotus leaves, embryos and their bioactivities can have application potential in the supplementary food such as protect-liver, anti-neurotic, etc.. The aim of this paper is to review a variety of develop methods used in the alkaloid extraction from lotus embryos, leaves. Besides, this study also introduces some pharmacokinetic properties of alkaloid which can use in functional foods.