Abstract:The free and insoluble cell wall-bound phenolics of Sphallerocarpus gracilis seeds were characterized by ultrasound-assisted extraction. The polyphenolic contents were determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method and high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS), and the inhibitory effects of the polyphenolic extracts on human colon carcinoma (Lovo) cells were determined by an MTT assay. The results indicated that the dominant phenolic compounds in S. gracilis seeds were chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, paeoniflorin-diglucoside, luteolin-glucoside, dicaffeoylquinic acid glucoside, and protocatechuic acid glucoside, and that the free and insoluble cell-wall-bound phenolic content in extracts differed. The phenolic extracts from S. gracilis seeds showed significant inhibitory effects on Lovo cells. Furthermore, the inhibition rate gradually enhanced with increasing phenolic concentrations, showing a dose-dependent effect. The morphology of cells changed substantially after treatment with polyphenolic extracts; cells were smaller, shriveled, and even dried and detached, preliminarily suggesting that polyphenolic extracts from S. gracilis seeds could inhibit the growth of Lovo cells.
