Investigating of total flavonoids amount and total polyphenolic compounds was performed with a spectrophotometer Lambda-25: content of flavonoid installed in 70% ethanol extract at a wavelength of 410 nm (in recalculation on rutin), polyphenolic compounds - in 40% ethanol extract at a wavelength of 270 nm (in recalculation on gallic acid). Determination of tannins content was accomplished by using of permanganometric titration method according to State Pharmacopoeia of USSR (XI edition).
Key words: Satureja hortensis, flavonoids, hydroxycinnamic acids, tannins, polyphenols.
Polyphenols are an important group of secondary metabolites of plants, which have high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties due to the containing of multiple hydroxyl groups in the molecules [1]. The most common polyphenols are hydroxycinnamic acids, flavonoids and tannins.
Research goal. Determination of presence and content of major groups of phenolic compounds (tannins, flavonoids, hydroxycinnamic acids) in the Satureja hortensis L. herb. Nowadays this plant is used in Ukraine only in folk medicine and sometimes as spicy herb.
Methods. It was used the aboveground part of Satureja hortensis harvested in the flowering stage from the experimental plots in Ternopil‘ region (Ukraine). Identification of phenolic compounds was performed with using qualitative reactions, paper and thin layer chromatography. The content of phenolic components was performed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) [2] on the Agilent 1200 Chromatograph using 60% methanol extracts of herb.
The HPLC-analysis found that investigated herb accumulates a number of polyphenolic compounds with dominating of rosmarinic acid (1,46 %), epigallocatechin (1,31 %), gallocatechin (0,74 %) epicatechin (0,47 %) catechin (0, 35 %), epicatechingallat (0,31 %), rutin (0,29 %), luteolin (0,24 %) and apigenin (0,21 %) derivatives. Analysis of the total content of phenolic compounds showed that Satureja hortensis herb accumulates 11,34 % of tannins, 2,48 % of total flavonoids amount and 3,89 % of total polyphenolic compounds.
According to received results, the dominant component of Satureja hortensis herb is rosmarinic acid, which is known as antioxidant. The other phenolic compounds (catechin and its derivatives, which are important components of Satureja hortensis tannins) have also antioxidant property; rutin exhibits P-vitamin activity; luteolin, apigenin and their derivatives have anti-inflammatory and antimutagenic influence [2].
Conclusions. Thus, received results point to a promising future of phytochemical research of Satureja hortensis herb towards the creating a new herbal substances with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.
Sources of financing:
The study was performed independently.
Conflict of interest:
The author of this article confirms the absence of conflict of interest, which must be reported.
References
1. Khomdram S. Polyphenolic compounds and free radical scavenging activity in eight Lamiaceae herbs of Manipur / S. Khomdram, K. Potsangbam // Not. Sci. Biol. - 2011. - 3(2). - Р. 108-113.
2. Marker fingerprints originating from TLS and HPLC for selected plants from the Lamiaceae family / [D. Staszek, M. Orlowska, M.Waksmundzka-Hajnos et al.] // J. of Liquid Chromatography. - 2013. - 36 (17). - P. 2463-2475.