1. Alkaloids
Plant extracts are most of alkaline nitrogen organic compound, a significant biological activity, containing the alkaloid plants more than 100 families, such as dicotyledonous plants, solanaceae, leguminosae, ranunculaceae, poppy, oleande.
The alkaloids can be found in plant leaves, barks, flowers, stems, seeds and fruits. A plant often contains several or even dozens of alkaloids at the same time. For example, seven alkaloids have been found in ephedra and more than 60 alkaloids have been isolated from the anticancer drug vinpocetine.
Although the alkaloid content in plants is small, it is closely related to human beings. Many alkaloids are good medicine for curing diseases. For example, berberine is the main component in rhizome of Rhizoma coptidis of buttercup, which has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects. Vincristine, which was derived from the Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus), is used to treat some types of cancer.
2. Flavonoids
What is flavonoids?
A large class of natural organic compounds widely exists. Natural flavonoids mostly exist in the form of glycosides, and various flavonoid glycosides can be formed due to the different types, quantities, linkage positions and linkage modes of sugars.
Flavonoid glycosides include monosaccharides, disaccharides, trisaccharides and acylated sugars. The flavonoid glycoside is amorphous powder, and the others are crystalline solid.
The different colors of flavonoids add more color to the family of natural pigments. This is due to the formation of cross conjugation system in the parent nucleus, and through electron transfer, rearrangement, so that the conjugation chain is prolonged, thus showing the color.
Flavonoids glycosides are generally soluble in water, ethanol, methanol and other solvents with strong polarity, but insoluble in benzene, chloroform and other organic solvents.
Where we can find flavonoids?
Flavonoids are widely found in some plants and berries, with a total of about 4,000 kinds, and their molecular structures are not the same, such as rutin, tangerine, quercetin, green tea polyphenols, anthocyanin, anthocyanin acid and so on.
Different molecular structure of flavonoids can be applied to different body organs, such as ginkgo biloba good for cardiovascular system, blueberries good for eyes, cranberry good for urinary system, elderberry fruit good for the immune system, we can eat more at ordinary times grapes, onion, broccoli, red wine, drink more green tea and other ways to get flavonoids, as a supplement of the body.
Twenty years ago, scientists discovered that ginkgo biloba trees, known as living fossils, contain relatively high levels of flavonoids, mainly extracted from the leaves of ginkgo biloba.
What’s the function of flavonoids?
The effect of flavonoids are various, it is a very strong antioxidant, can effectively remove oxygen free radicals in the body, such as anthocyanins can inhibiting lipid peroxide of overflow the stage as a whole, the ability to prevent oxidation more than ten times than vitamin E, the antioxidant action can prevent cell degeneration, aging, also can prevent the occurrence of cancer.
Flavonoids can improve blood circulation, can reduce cholesterol, flavonoids also contains a PAF anticoagulation factor, these effects greatly reduce the incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, but also improve the symptoms of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
3. Plant polysaccharides
Plant polysaccharides, also known as plant polysaccharides, are polysaccharides with more than 10 degrees of aggregation generated by plant cell metabolism.
Plant polysaccharides can be divided into two types according to their functions in plants: one is to form plant supporting tissue, such as cellulose; One is plant storage nutrients, soluble in hot water into a colloid solution, enzyme hydrolysis can release monosaccharides to supply energy, such as starch, inulin, etc..
Function
Plant polysaccharides have a variety of biological activities, the most important of which are immune regulation, anti-tumor, hypoglycemic and other health care functions.
Plant polysaccharides can affect the absorption and metabolism of other substances and the secondary products produced by fermentation in the colon, and play the physiological functions of anti-tumor, anti-inflammation and improving the immune function of the body.
Polysaccharides can be hydrolyzed into oligosaccharides and monosaccharides through microbial action, and then produce a large number of short chain fatty acids (SCFA), mainly including acetic acid, propionic acid and butyric acid.
SCFA is involved in metabolism, provides energy and maintains health in the body. It can regulate the balance of fatty acid synthesis, oxidation and lipid decomposition in the body by activating the activities of enzymes in liver and muscle cells.
Common plant contain polysaccharide are: Ganoderma, shiitake mushroom, maitake mushroom, Chinese traditional medicines polysaccharide such as Ginseng Extract and Astragalus membranaceus.
4. Organic acids
Natural organic acids are widely distributed in the leaves and roots of Chinese herbal medicine and fruits, especially fruits, such as black plum, schisandra fruit, raspberry, etc.
The common organic acids in fruit are citric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, acetic acid, succinic acid and oxalic acid, etc., which are the main flavor nutrients in the fruit. They can soften blood vessels, promote the absorption of calcium and iron elements, stimulate the secretion of digestive glands, and have the function of enhancing appetite, helping digestion and absorption, quenching thirst and relieving heat.
Natural organic acids such as citric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, ascorbic acid has antibacterial, cholagogue function, such as anti-inflammatory, fall blood sugar, antioxidant and regulate the body’s immune function, can increase coronary blood flow, inhibit brain tissue lipid peroxide generated, soften blood vessels, promote the absorption of calcium and iron at the same time help digest fat gastric juice.
It can also prevent diseases and promote metabolism. Some specific acids are active ingredients in some herbal medicines. For example, hibiscus acid in hibiscus bark has antifungal effects. Caffeic acid derivatives have certain biological activity, such as Chlorogenic acid is the active component of many Chinese herbal medicine. There are antibacterial, gallbladder, raise white blood cells and so on.
