[[alternative]]The antioxidant effects of Sterculia scaphigera,Ophiopogon japonicus, Eriobotrya japonica, Lopatherum gracile, herbal beverages

[[abstract]] 音聲的困擾，除了技巧外，往往來自呼吸道的病變，而呼吸道的病變與『氧化』有著密不可分的因果關係。本實驗欲探討中國草藥植物對於潤肺、化痰等有著實臨床功效的淡竹葉(Lopatherum gracile)、枇杷葉(Eriobotrya japonica)、麥門冬(Ophiopogon japonicus)、胖大海(Sterculia scaphigera)以及複方中抗氧化成分及其抗氧化能力。抗氧化成分包括酚類及類黃酮含量測定，而抗氧化功能則包括清除DPPH自由基能力與還原力之測試。實驗結果顯示枇杷葉、淡竹葉、複方、麥門冬及胖大海，總酚與類黃酮含量依序為50.94、23.44、23.10、19.11、10.38 mg gallic acid/g dw及8.45、15.72、7.70、5.52、0.76 mg quercetin/g dw。清除DPPH自由基之能力在1 g/ l濃度時分別是淡竹葉（94%），枇杷葉（84%），麥門冬（79%），複方（72%）和胖大海（63%）。而還原力在濃度1.0 g/l時，以琵琶葉之效果最高，依序為複方、淡竹葉、麥門冬、胖大海。回歸分析發現研究中所探討之草藥植物酚類及類黃酮含量和清除DPPH自由基及還原力成顯著性正相關（p < 0.01）。因此，多飲用此飲料將可增加抗氧化能力，或可改善音聲的困擾。[[abstract]] The sound quality is affected not only by the voicing technique, but also by various repriatory tract diseases, which may be related to oxidation. This study is to investigate the antioxidant compositions and their antioxidant ability of several herbs, including Lopatherum gracile, Eriobotrya japonica, Ophiopogon japonicus, Sterculia scaphigera, and the mixture of those above four herbs, which are clinically positively reported. The contents of phenol compounds and flavonoids and the antioxidant ability, including scavenging capacity of DPPH and reducing power, were assessed. The contents of phenol compounds and flavonoids of Lopatherum gracile, Eriobotrya japonica, Ophiopogon japonicus, Sterculia scaphigera, and mixture were 50.94, 23.44, 23.10, 19.11, 10.38 mg gallic acid/g dw and 8.45, 15.72, 7.70, 5.52, and 0.76 mg quercetin/g dw, respectively. The effects of scavenging on DPPH at 1g/l were Lopatherum gracile (94%), Eriobotrya japonica (84%), Ophiopogon japonicus (79%), mixture (72%), and Sterculia scaphigera (63%). At the concentration of 1 g/l, Eriobotrya japonica exhibited the strongest reducing power, followed by mixture, Lopatherum gracile, Ophiopogon japonicus, and then Sterculia scaphigera. Regression analysis indicated that high phenol and flavinoid contents in those herbs were significantly correlated to scavenging effects on DPPH and reducing power (P < 0.01); thus, drinking above herb teas may benefit antioxidant activity and further improve sound quality