Inter‐population variability of secondary metabolites in Hypericum spp. (Hypericaceae) of the Northern Apennines, Italy

Abstract

M. 2002. Inter-population variability of secondary metabolites in Hypericum spp. (Hypericaceae) of the Northern Apennines, Italy. -Nord. J. Bot. 21: 585-593. Copenhagen. ISSN 0107-055X.Hypericum spp. flowers were collected from different sites of Northern Apennines in Italy and were analysed by HPTLC technique to determine their contents in flavonoids (rutin, hyperosid, quercitrin, isoquercitrin and quercetin) and hypericins (pseudohypericin and hypericin). The H. perforaturn and H. richeri composition was evaluated in order to investigate the influence of ecological conditions on secondary metabolites production. The species studied showed some differences in the amounts of investigated metabolites and high variability was observed in populations gathered in different places. No significant effects of environmental factors on active compound production were observed, except for the rutin content which is in positive correlation with the altitude of the growing site. Interesting informations are also given about the morphology of secretory structures found in Hypericum richeri.

Variability of Hypericins and Hyperforin inHypericumSpecies from the Sicilian Flora

“…The detection of differences in active metabolites content among different elevation levels was calculated only on the wild accessions. On this topic, literature data are somehow contradictory: some surveys performed in Italian mountain areas did not detect any relationship between elevation and hypericins/hyperforin content, whereas an increase of the total hypericins content with increasing altitude from 200 to 600 m a.s.l. was reported in H. perforatum flowers collected in Crete .…”

Comparative Analysis of Phenolic Compounds in Seven Hypericum Species and Their Antioxidant Properties

“…The final identification of compounds was performed by comparing their retention times, UV and MS spectra with the appropriate retention times and spectra of standard commercially available compounds or flavonoids previously isolated in our laboratory from the H. richeri [12]. In the analyzed extracts 17 compounds were identified: (1) 3-O-, (2) 4-O-, and (3) 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid, (4) orientin, (5) myricetin 3-Orutinoside, (6) myricetin 3-O-galactoside, (7) myricetin 3-Oglucoside, (8) rutin, (9) hyperoside, (10) 2''-O-acetyl-orientin, (11) isoquercitrin, (12) quercitrin, (13) astilbin, (14) quercetin, (15) I3,II8-biapigenin, (16) pseudohypericin, and (17) hypericin.…”

Essential oil composition of Hypericum richeri Vill. from Italy

“…Table 2 shows the plant material, origin, main components of the essential oils of Hypericum species previously reported. 3,4,[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32] A further investigations of the essential oil compositions of a larger number of different populations of the same species, along with more data about different species of the genus Hypericum, could be helpful in chemotaxonomy.…”

“…The distribution area is limited to the mountains of central and south regions of Europa; in Italy this plant is found in the Alps and central Apennines. [1][2] A few number of studies refer to the biologically active components isolated from H. richeri [3][4][5][6] but, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the GC-MS determination of the essental oil composition of H. richeri.…”