The Influence of Climatic Conditions on Accumulation of Biologically Active Com-Pounds in Koenigia Weyrichii

Abstract

Koenigia Weyrichii (F. Schmidt) T.M. Schust. et Reveal is a herbaceous perennial plant introduced to the Murmansk and Tomsk regions in the mid–twentieth century. This plant accumulates a sufficiently large amount of flavonoids, which makes it a promising source of biologically active compounds. The purpose of this study was to determine how different location and climatic conditions affect the content of total phenols, flavonoids, antioxidant and antiradical activity of K. Weyrichii ethanol extracts obtained from different plant organs in different phases of vegetation. Inflorescences, leaves of the upper and middle tiers of K. Weyrichii were collected in three places – in the districts of Apatity, Kirovsk (Kola Peninsula, Murmansk region) and Tomsk (Western Siberia, Tomsk region) during flowering and fruiting periods. For ethanol extracts, the total content of polyphenolic components in reaction with Folin-Chokalteu reagent, flavonoids in reaction with aluminum chloride, total antioxidant and antiradical activity determined by phosphomolybdate and DPPH methods, respectively, were determined. The results of ANOVA factor analysis showed that these parameters depend on the place of growth, the period of collection and the type of plant tissue. The higher average value of the accumulation of total polyphenols was observed in Kirovsk – 106.2 мг GAE/г (GAE is the equivalent of gallic acid), the lowest – in Tomsk: 86.1 мг GAE/г. The average value of flavonoid accumulation was higher in Apatity – 4.39 мг,RE/г (RE – equivalent of rutin), less in Tomsk – 3.12 мг RE/г. Lower temperatures, less precipitation, and longer daylight hours in Apatity and Kirovsk contributed to a greater accumulation of flavonoids compared to Tomsk. In the inflorescences during the mass flowering period, there was a greater accumulation of flavonoids and a greater antioxidant activity of extracts at all three sites. The obtained data can be used as a theoretical basis for the rational use of K. Weyrichii as a promising source of flavonoids.