18-2 |
Analysis of bioactive saponins in foods and natural health products |
C. T. HO, S. Sang, and R. T. Rosen. Dept. of Food Science, Rutgers, The State Univ. of New Jersey, Center for Advanced Food Technology, 65 Dudley Rd., New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8520 Saponins are a class of natural products which are constructed of aglycones of triterpene or steroidal and sugars. Saponins are widely spread throughout the plant kingdom. Many saponins are bioactive with diverse properties. Their use in folk medicines has generated great interest in the chemical characterization of these molecules. Recent advances in chromatography and spectroscopic techniques such as HLPC, LC/MS/MS, and 2D NMRs has made the analysis of saponins in foods and natural health products truly phenomenal. We will use our own experience to discuss the use of various techniques to characterize the complex structures of saponins in quinoa, blue cohosh and the seeds of chives. The use of LC and LC/MS to fingerprint the saponin compositions in commercial products such as ginseng will also be discussed.
Session 18, Chemistry and analysis of phytochemicals or plant bioactive materials
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