Metabolome Composition of Stinging Nettle Growing in the Central Chernozem Region (Review)

Abstract

The plant metabolome is the totality of all primary and secondary metabolites and can be considered as a result of the implementation of genetic information, a «link» between the genotype and phenotype. The chemical composition of most medicinal plants and herbal medicinal preparations derived from them, which are multicomponent extracts, is not always fully known. Stinging nettle is one of the valuable plants with a wide distribution area. The metabolome of nettle medicinal plant materials includes a large number of classes of various biologically active substances (BAS). The study of profiles of secondary metabolites is an important direction for studying the variability of the phytochemical composition depending on the climatic conditions of growth, harvesting and drying. In the work, the collection and analysis of scientific information on the study of the profiles of various groups of biologically active substances and their identification in extracts from the raw material of stinging nettle (leaves and grass) growing on the territory of the Central Black Earth region of Russia was carried out by TLC using the so-called «fingerprint» method or «bar coding». The literature data on the results of a comprehensive study of the composition of the metabolome of this raw material (flavonoids, chlorophyll compounds, carotenoids, tannins, oxycinnamic acids, amino acids, organic acids, triterpene glycosides, polysaccharide complex, vitamins and some macroelements) by various groups of scientists over the past 20 years are summarized and systematized. Stinging nettle, growing in the conditions of the Central Chernozem region, as analysis showed, accumulate free amino acids, tannins, organic acids and polysaccharides in significant quantities. The composition of free water-soluble simple sugars, organic acids, vitamins of group B, as well as the complete amino acid composition was studied in the leaves of stinging nettle by capillary electrophoresis. A significant content of riboflavin and choline, as well as butyric and succinic acids has been established. Flavonoids in the leaves of stinging nettle growing in the conditions of the Central Chernozem region are represented by glycosides, the aglycones of which are mainly quercetin, isorhamnetin and kaempferol. The main representatives of the group of hydroxycinnamic acids in the leaves of stinging nettle in this region are chlorogenic acids, 2-coffee-malic and rosemary acids. As chemomarkers, neochlorogenic and cryptochlorogenic acids – isomers of caffeoylquinic acids, as well as caffeic, cafftaric and n-coumaric acids can be used.