Purification Process and Antioxidant, Anti-inflammatory Activities of Total Flavonoids from Camellia oleifera with Macroporous Adsorption Resin

Objective: The study aimed to investigate the purification process of total flavonoids from Camellia oleifera using microporous adsorption resin, as well as evaluate their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities in vitro. Methods: Adsorption kinetics and thermodynamics were employed to analyze the mechanism of total flavonoids adsorption on microporous adsorption resins, with the process being optimized through dynamic adsorption. Furthermore, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of total flavonoids from Camellia oleifera were assessed using the DPPH、ABTS+ free radical scavenging and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) inhibition assays. Results: The adsorption of total flavonoids from Camellia oleifera by the screened HPD400 macroporous adsorption resin followed the Pseudo-second-order model, indicating a thermodynamically favorable heat absorption process. The optimal purification conditions were as follows: Total flavonoids were sampled at one time with a total amount of 144 mg and a sample volume of 120 mL at a flow rate of 1 mL/min; 80 mL of 70% ethanol was used for the elution at a flow rate of 4 mL/min, and the purity of total flavonoids obtained from the purification of Camellia oleifera was increased from 19.62%±0.84% to 39.16%±1.50%. The purified total flavonoids of Camellia oleifera obtained had an EC50 of 7.025 and 5.361 μg/mL for DPPH and ABTS+ radical scavenging, respectively, and an IC50 of 6.217 μg/mL for 5-LOX inflammation. Conclusion: The HPD400 macroporous adsorption resin proved to be beneficial in purifying total flavonoids from Camellia oleifera. The resulting purified products exhibited promising antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, offering valuable insights for the future development and utilization of Camellia oleifera.