The evaluation of phytochemical composition of introduced Chamerion angustifolium (L.) by chromatographic, spectrophotometric and chemometric techniques

Abstract

Chamerion angustifolium L. is a medicinal plant with potential anticancer properties. However biological activity and accumulation of bioactive compounds in the plant depends on its geographic origin, climatic conditions and even ecotype and chemotype. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the phytochemical composition of volatile and non-volatile compounds of C. angustifolium L. after the introduction of six plants grown in different locations in Lithuania in Kaunas Botanical Garden. The analysis of the plants was performed two years after their introduction, i.e. in 2013 and 2014. The profile of volatile compounds was analysed by solid phase microextraction with GC/MS. The total amount of phenolic compounds, the total content of flavonoids and antiradical activity (using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)) were determined by spectrophotometric assays. The qualitative analysis of phenolic compounds characteristic to C. angustifolium L. was performed by HPLC. Chemometric methods, namely principal component analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis and K-means clustering analysis, were applied for the evaluation of the results. Study showed that the quantitative composition of C. angustifolium L. volatile and nonvolatile compounds, changed significantly after their introduction. However, some qualitative changes were observed between volatile compounds. In the presentation the question, what has the highest impact on the changes of phytochemical composition: the introduction, ecotype or chemotype of C. angustifolium L., will be discussed.