Work

In vitro preparation of N-ethylpyrrolidone substituted flavanols in tea and their starch graft copolymers

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT N-Ethyl-pyrrolidone-substituted-flavan-3-ols (EPSFs), flavonoid alkaloids with diverse bioactivities, are challenging to extract from tea leaves. This study synthesized EPSFs in vitro using epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and theanine under simulated hydrothermal conditions. Column chromatography yielded EPSFs with 85.2% purity. Evaluated in SH-SY5Y/APP695 (SHswe) cells, a Alzheimer’s disease (AD) model, EPSFs exhibited potential anti-AD effects. A starch-EPSFs graft copolymer was synthesized via free radical-mediated polymerization. Compared to starch-EGCG, the starch-EPSFs copolymer demonstrated enhanced DPPH•/ABTS• + radical scavenging and α-amylase inhibition within specific concentration ranges. This work advances efficient EPSFs production and highlights their therapeutic potential for AD. The antioxidant starch-EPSFs copolymer also holds promise for material science, medical, and industrial applications, offering a novel strategy for functional biomaterial design.

Source: LWT

DOI: 10.1016/j.lwt.2025.118057