Abstract:

Objective: To probe into the digestion promoting capacity of extracts from plum fruits. Methods: Plum fruits were sequentially extracted with 85% ethanol for 3 times and concentrated by rotary evaporator to obtain brown-colored syrup-like digestion promoting extract. The extract was then fractionated into chloroform, ethyl acetate and water soluble fractions. The digestion promoting function of these fractions was evaluated by the determinations of body weight gain, average daily dietary intake, food utilization rate, digestive enzyme activity in rats and the observation of small intestinal movement in mice. Results: Ethyl acetate soluble fraction of plum fruit extract could obviously improve average intake amount of diet in rats, promote the secretion of gastric juice and pepsin in rats, and exhibit an obvious promotion effect on ink propulsive rate in mice. Conclusion: Ethyl acetate soluble fraction of 85% ethanol extract from plum fruits has obvious promoting digestion function.

Key words: plum fruit, extract, promoting digestion function