Variation in concentrations of major bioactive compounds in Prunella vulgaris L. related to plant parts and phenological stages

Abstract

Prunella vulgaris L. (Labiatae) contains a variety of structurally diverse natural products, primarily rosmarinic acid (RA), ursolic acid (UA) and oleanolic acid (OA), which possess a wide array of biological properties. In the present study, P. vulgaris was harvested at three developmental stages (vegetative, full-flowering and mature-fruiting stages), dissected into stem and leaf tissues and assayed for chemical contents using high performance liquid chromatography. Signifi cant changes in the concentrations of the major secondary metabolites (RA, UA and OA) were observed at the diff erent development stages. The highest concentrations of RA, UA and OA were found at the full-flowering stage (15.83 mg/g dry weight (DW) RA, 1.77 mg/g DW UA and 0.65 mg/g DW OA). Among the diff erent aerial parts of the plant, the concentrations of RA, UA and OA were higher in the leaves than in the stems at the diff erent developmental stages. These results suggest that the full-flowering stage is characterized by the highest concentrations of bioactive compounds. Therefore, this stage may be the optimum point for harvesting P. vulgaris plants. In additional, the leaves of P. vulgaris demonstrated higher RA, UA and OA concentrations than the stems, suggesting higher utilization potential.

Protective properties of Salvia lavandulifolia Vahl. essential oil against oxidative stress-induced neuronal injury

“…The maximum oil production and yield is from flowering plants (maybe due to activation of several enzymes necessary to the biosynthesis of some components) and with closest spacing, respectively (Badi et al, 2004;Chauhan et al, 2013;Sellami et al, 2009). For example, a study of Chen et al (2012) indicates Table 2 Effects of essential oil samples from S. lavandulifolia on cytoprotective enzyme activity in PC12 cells. Cells were treated with essential oil samples (50 and 15 μg/mL) for 24 h, followed by incubation with H2O2 (0.1 mM) for 30 min.…”

Optimisation of Potassium Chloride Nutrition for Proper Growth, Physiological Development and Bioactive Component Production in Prunella vulgaris L

“…P. vulgaris has been identified as one of the most promising potential medicinal and edible wild plant resources [5]. The fresh leaves of young plants are popular for use in a wild vegetable recipe in southeast China [4], whereas its mature plants are commonly used as a traditional medicinal herb in some Asian and Europe countries, such as China [6], Korea [7], Japan [8], Turkey [9], the Czech Republic [10], Poland [11] and Germany [12].…”

Molecular Cloning and Characterization of Genes Involved in Rosmarinic Acid Biosynthesis from <i>Prunella vulgaris</i>

“…Chemical investigations have revealed that P. vulgaris contains a variety of bioactive constituents, primarily rosmarinic acid (RA), ursolic acid, and oleanolic acid. 14,15) RA, an ester of caffeic acid and 3,4-dihydroxyphenyllactic acid, is a main active constituent of P. vulgaris, is accumulated constitutively, and is one of the most common polyphenolic compounds in plants. 16) It was first isolated and characterized the compound and named it for the plant from which it was isolated, rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis).…”