Investigation on the influence of clear cutting on the phenolic and flavonoid composition of Vaccinium Vitis – Idaea L

Abstract

Vaccinium vitis-idaea L., family Ericaceae (cowberry) is a small evergreen shrub for which several pharmacological activities have been documented for, which include counteracting urinary and digestive-tract infections. For this research, sixteen cowberry shrub samples were selected, all of them obtained from a clear-cut area, where all the trees in the area were uniformly cut down. Eight of the samples were made up from the shrubs above ground part (leaves, branches) and the other eight – below ground part (roots). Control samples were cut down in 2015, while the clear cut ones in 2017, after the clear cutting of the forest. The aim of this research was to perform a quantitative analysis of various cowberry samples phenolic and flavonoid composition and to evaluate the influence that varying clear cutting had on the results. The above ground part in both phenolics and flavonoids depicted a higher concentration than the control samples while the below ground part control samples depicted a higher phenolic concentration then the clear cut samples. The concentration of total flavonoid compounds was lower compared to the total phenolic compounds in above and below ground parts, therefore a large part of phenolic compounds in the upper part consisted of phenolic compounds other than flavonoids. No significant amount of flavonoid compounds were found in the below ground part using the current raw material amount. Radical scavenging activity and the influence of varying vegation period effects on the results will be evaluated for future research.