Abstract:

The purpose of this study is to investigate the preparation of forsythiaside A and its antioxidant activity in vitro.
The crude forsythiaside A was obtained from Forsythia suspense leaves by organic solvent extraction and macroporous resin
column chromatography, and the purified forsythiaside A was obtained with reversed-phase silica column chromatography.
The crude and purified forsythiaside A were analyzed by HPLC, and their antioxidant activities in vitro were evaluated by DPPH
radical scavenging capacity, hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity, superoxide anion radical scavenging capacity, reducing power,
and anti-lipid peroxidation capacity. The 62% crude forsythiaside A and 92% purified forsythiaside A from Forsythia suspense
leaves had potent antioxidant activity, and their antioxidant activities were stronger than those of the positive control in DPPH
radical scavenging activity, reducing power, and lipid peroxidation assay. Forsythiaside A was rich in Forsythia suspense leaves,
and it had strong antioxidant activity. Therefore, forsythiaside A from Forsythia suspense leaves may be exploited as a good
natural antioxidant as well as an important functional ingredient of foods and biomedicines.

Key words: Forsythia suspense leaves, forsythiaside A, preparation, antioxidant activity