蒲公英作為一種在世界廣泛使用的食品和中草藥，科學上已被證實有許多有益人體的生理功效。本研究目的為探討臺灣種蒲公英之抗氧化與抗癌機能性，並與西洋種蒲公英比較。首先，取蒲公英植株以聚合 連鎖反應-限制 片段長度多型性技術 (PCR-RFLP) 進行分子基原鑑定確認其為臺灣種與西洋種蒲公英。取低溫乾燥蒲公英莖葉，以沸水製備臺灣種蒲公英莖葉水萃物 (T. formosanum extract, TFE) 及西洋種蒲公英莖葉水萃物 (T. officinale extract, TOE)。DPPH assay試驗結果顯示TFE與TOE皆具抗氧化活性，TFE抗氧化活性較好，兩者具有顯著差異 ( p < 0.01)。體外癌細胞存活率試驗結果顯示，TFE與TOE對於乳癌細胞MCF-7、MDA-MB231、SK-BR3與大腸癌細胞HCT116皆具抑制癌細胞生長能力，在濃度範圍0.02~10 mg/mL有劑量-效應關係。TFE相比TOE對乳癌細胞MCF-7、MDA-MB231有較好抑制生長效果，兩者半最大抑制濃度 (IC50) 顯著較低。且在正常細胞株 (NIH3T3) 實驗中，TOE在高濃度 (10 mg/mL) 下會影響正常細胞生長，TFE則不會影響，兩者具有顯著差異 ( p < 0.05)。此外，臺灣種蒲公英中三 類含量較西洋種多 (2.41% v.s. 2.17%)。癌細胞侵移能力試驗中，證實臺灣種蒲公英莖葉及根水萃物皆有抑制三陰性乳癌細胞MDA-MB231之侵移能力活性，兩種水萃物又以莖葉水萃物活性較好，具有顯著差異 ( p < 0.01)。綜合上述試驗結果，推論TFE和TOE皆具有良好的抗氧化及抗癌活性，本研究首次提供對比西洋蒲公英之臺灣種蒲公英功效評價，有助於臺灣種蒲公英的產品開發與在地復育。

Dandelion is widely consumed as food and traditional herbal medicine around the world. The purpose of this research is to study the functional properties of T. formosanum and compare with T. offcinale, including inhibitory effects on cancer cell proliferation and migration ability. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay was employed for molecular authentication of T. formosanum and T. offcinale. For preparation of T. formosanum water extract (TFE) and T. officinale water extract (TOE), the dried stems and leaves of dandelion were extracted by boiling water. The results of DPPH radical scavenging assay indicated both TOE and TFE exhibited antioxidant activity, and TFE showed significant higher antioxidant activity than TOE (p < 0.05). TOE and TFE demonstrated growth inhibitory effects on four cancer cell lines encompassing breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7, MDA-MB231, SK-BR3) and a colorectal cancer cell line (HCT116) in in vitro cancer cell viability test (MTT assay), and dose-dependent relationship in the concentration range of 0.02~10 mg/mL. TFE showed better growth inhibitory effects than TOE on breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB231 based on significant lower half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values. In the experiment of normal cell line (NIH3T3), TOE affected the growth of normal cells at high concentrations (10 mg/mL), whereas TFE did not. There were significant differences between TOE and TFE on normal cells ( p < 0.05). The content of triterpenoids in T. formosanum was higher than that of T. offcinale (2.41% v.s. 2.17%). In the wound-healing assay, both T. formosanum water extract (TFE) and T. formosanum root water extract (TFRE) inhibited migration ability of breast cancer cell line MDA-MB231, and TFE showed significant higher ability than TFRE ( p < 0.01). Our findings showed that similar to TOE, TFE had promising antioxidant and anti-cancer activities. It is for the first time to report comparative results of T. formosanum and T. offcinale to evaluate the functional properties of T. formosanum, which could be beneficial to Taiwanese dandelion product development and ex-situ restoration.