Comparison of flavonoid profiles of cultivated plants of Achillea asplenifolia, Achillea collina and cultivar ”Proa”

Abstract

Flavonoid aglycone profiles of cultivated plants of Achillea collina, A. asplenifolia and cultivar "Proa" presented with different origins were compared. The evaluation was undertaken to determine intraspecific variability of flavonoid profiles when the plants are grown in the uniform conditions. Eight flavonoid aglycones were detected by thin layer chromatography and comparison with known compounds. Highly methylated quercetagetin derivatives predominate in the exudates. The flavonoid profiles of A. colina consist mainly of quercetagetin 3,6,4'-trimethyl ether (centaureidin), 6-hydroxykaempferol 3,6,4'-trimethyl ether and quercetagetin 3,6,7,4'-tetramethyl ether (casticin) while the profiles of A. asplenifolia of quercetagetin 3,6,7,3',4'-pentamethyl ether (artemetin), casticin and scutellarein 6,4'-dimethyl ether. In the profiles of A. asplenifolia quercetagetin 3,6,4'-trimethyl ether was not found in the extracts of one of the two origins. The extracts of cultivar exhibited a less diversified flavonoid profile with main component centaureidin. No significant difference was found in the flavonoid profiles of the extracts of the both origins of the cultivar “Proa” and A. collina.

Keywords

• Chemotaxonomy
• external flavonoids
• intraspecific variability
• TLC