Chemical and Genetic Diversity of Ligularia latihastata and Ligularia villosa in Yunnan Province of China

Abstract

The chemical constituents of the root extracts and the nucleotide sequences of the atpB-rbcL intergenic region of Ligularia latihastata and L. villosa, collected in northwestern Yunnan Province, were studied. In the twelve collected samples of L. latihastata, two major benzofurans, 5,6-dimethoxy-2-(1-methylethenyl)-1-benzofuran (1) and euparin (2) were detected as major components. The minor compound (2R*,3S*)-5-acetyl-2,3-dihydro-6-hydroxy-2-(1-methylethenyl)-1-benzofuran-3-yl (2Z)-2-[(acetoxy)methyl]but-2-enoate (4) was found to be susceptible to artifact formation upon extraction with EtOH. The intra-specific diversity in chemical composition of the samples was small, but the diversity in the atpB-rbcL sequence was fairly large. Compounds 1 and 2 were also found in the three collected samples of L. villosa, indicating that the two species are chemically close to each other, in agreement with morphological taxonomy.

Chemical and Genetic Study of Ligularia anoleuca and L. veitchiana in Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces of China

“…The shielding of Me (14) (14)) and 18.1 (Me(15))) [21b], indicated the a-configuration of the OH group at C(6). Finally, the configuration was confirmed by the observation of NOEs between HÀC(6) and Me (14) and between HÀC(6) and Me(15).…”

“…When the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 sequences of L. anoleuca and L. veitchiana were compared, 14 base substitutions, excluding sites with multiple bases, were found ( [27], L. intermedia Nakai [28], as well as L. veitchiana, produce both benzofuran and eremophilane derivatives. Benzofurans were also isolated from L. latihastata [14], L. odontomanes Hand.-Mazz. [29], L. villosa [14], and L. stenocephala (Maxim.)…”

“…and L. villosa (Hand.-Mazz.) S. W. Liu [14], morphologically close species belonging to section Ligularia, series Speciosae Pojark. [1].…”

High Diversity of Ligularia dictyoneura in Chemical Composition and DNA Sequence

“…The difference between them concerned four sites. As no intermediate type has been observed in either case, the presence of distinct variants suggests that hybridization has taken place [6]. The presence of multiple ITS sequences, manifestly seen in the length variants, also suggests hybridization [33].…”

“…In the other type (B in Table 1), T, T, and C were at the 245th, the 301st, and the 469th positions, respectively, and the number of Ts was 11. Types A and B had been observed within L. latihastata [6] as well.…”