Chemical Diversity of Bastard Balm (Melittis melisophyllum L.) as Affected by Plant Development

Abstract

The phytochemical diversity of Melittis melissophyllum was investigated in terms of seasonal changes and age of plants including plant organs diversity. The content of phenolics, namely: coumarin; 3,4-dihydroxycoumarin; o-coumaric acid 2-O-glucoside; verbascoside; apiin; luteolin-7-O-glucoside; and o-coumaric; p-coumaric; chlorogenic; caffeic; ferulic; cichoric acids, was determined using HPLC-DAD. Among these, luteolin-7-O-glucoside, verbascoside, chlorogenic acid, and coumarin were the dominants. The highest content of flavonoids and phenolic acids was observed in 2-year-old plants, while coumarin in 4-year-old plants (272.06 mg 100 g–1 DW). When considering seasonal changes, the highest content of luteolin-7-O-glucoside was observed at the full flowering, whereas verbascoside and chlorogenic acid were observed at the seed-setting stage. Among plant organs, the content of coumarin and phenolic acids was the highest in leaves, whereas verbascoside and luteolin-7-O-glucoside were observed in flowers. The composition of essential oil was determined using GC-MS/GC-FID. In the essential oil from leaves, the dominant was 1-octen-3-ol, whilst from flowers, the dominant was α-pinene.

Quantitative Determination of p-Cymene, Thymol, Neryl Acetate, and β-Caryophyllene in Different Growth Periods and Parts of Eupatorium fortunei Turcz. by GC-MS/MS

“…Hence, one can see that the studied four compounds mainly existed in leaves of Eupatorium fortunei Turcz. Higher content of essential oil in leaf than other organs of a plant has been previously reported for other species [ 19 , 23 ]. Based on that, it could be concluded that the leaves should be the best medicinal part of Eupatorium fortunei Turcz.…”

“…and the content of essential oil extracted from it. In other studies, it has been found that the contents of many biological active compounds in plants depend on growth time; the yields of compounds usually reach the highest at summer or flowering stages (July or August) [ 18 , 19 ].…”

“…Thus, the appropriate harvesting time for traditional Chinese medicine is crucial to the formation of high-quality traditional Chinese medicine [ 16 ]. A lot of works have been performed on the effect of the developmental stage on the content of biologically active compounds in plants [ 17 – 19 ]. Accordingly, the quantities of the volatile oil in Eupatorium fortunei Turcz.…”

Widely targeted metabolomics analysis of different Wuyi Shuixian teas and association with taste attributes

“…4 C). The content of coumarin in leaves increased with the age of the plants, which plays a crucial role in inter-species competition or regualtion plant senescence [ 24 ], which could be a promising biomarker for the discrimination of Laocong Shuixian and regular Shuixian teas. Collectively, the significant different contents of phenolics and fatty acids potencially contributed to the flavor discrimination between Laocong and regular Shuixian teas, which could be used to detect or quantify the levels of Shuixian tea adulteration.…”

A Mini Review: The Application of Eupatorium Plants as Potential Cosmetic Ingredients

“…A few sesquiterpenoids detached from the class Eupatorium have been displayed to have different degrees of anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic, antifungal, insecticidal, and antibacterial effects [16,59]. Different examinations have found items in numerous biochemical compounds in plants, which fluctuate over time; the compound yields are regularly high throughout the summer (July or August) [46,60,61]. A summary of the biochemical compounds from Eupatorium species is presented in Table 1.…”