Comparison between the Antioxidant Activity and the Index Content of ACTS002 according to the Extraction Solvent

Objectives: Samul-tang is commonly used to alleviate the side effects of chemotherapy. This study aimed to establish an efficient method of extracting ACTS002 based on Samul-tang using the yield, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and antioxidant assay. Methods: ACTS002 was extracted from each extraction solvent, and the contents of 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furaldehyde (5-HMF), paeoniflorin, and ferulic acid were quantitatively analyzed and compared using HPLC. Moreover, the antioxidant activities of ACTS002 were measured using total flavonoids, total phenolic compounds, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2’-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS), and Ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP). Results: All of the components were set as the index contents because they were easy to process. The antioxidant activity of total flavonoids was the highest in 70% ethyl alcohol extracts, and total phenolic compounds were the highest in 50% ethyl alcohol extracts. In DPPH, 50% ethyl alcohol extracts showed the highest activity, and in ABTS 70% ethyl alcohol extracts were the highest. In FRAP, 70% ethyl alcohol extracts showed the highest activity. Conclusions: ACTS002 can control quality by setting 5-HMF, paeoniflorin, and ferulic acid as the index contents. The antioxidant activity measurement was relatively high in the 50% and 70% ethyl alcohol extracts. Our results can predict the possibility of a pharmacological activity and the standardization of ACTS002. Keywords: ACTS002, yield, HPLC, antioxidant