Study of Amino Acid Composition in a Thalictrum Foetidum L. Herb

Abstract

Submitted article is concerned with the study of amino acid composition in a Thalictrum foetidum L. herb. Investigations have been performed by the high performance liquid chromatography method based on the extraction of free amino acids from the herbal raw material and on the acid hydrolysis of the herbal medicinal products followed by analysis of hydrolizates using the HPLC with precolumn derivatization with 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl chloride (FMOC) and o-phthaldialdehyde (OPA) attended by the detection with fluorescence detector. Amino acid identification has been performed by the comparison of retention times with the mixture of standard amino acids (Agilent 5061-3334). The content of bound amino acids has been determined by the subtraction of free amino acids composition from their total composition. As a result of study 15 essential and non-essential amino acids have been found. It is important to note that L-Serine, L-Histidine, Glycine and L-Phenylalanine are not in a free state in Thalictrum foetidum L. herb. The quantity of L-Glutamic and L-Aspartic acids is 17.47 and 13.41 µg/mg, respectively (common amino acids). The content of abovementioned acids in a bound state is 15.66 and 9.84 µg/mg, respectively. As for content of other amino acids which were found in Thalictrum foetidum L. herb, it has to be said about their practically the same composition which is in the range from 4 to 5 µg/mg. Content of L-Histidine (1.80 µg/mg in general and bound state) and L-Tyrosine (1.76 µg/mg in general state and 0.08 µg/mg in bound state) is minimum in this herb. It has been established that amino acids are in a free and bound state in the investigated herbal raw material. Content of bound amino acids is higher than general content. Among the amino acids, which are in the overwhelming majority in the studied herb, it stands to mention L-Glutamic and L-Aspartic. These amino acids play an important role in supporting the physiological processes of the body, especially nervous system. In consideration of experimental data to be noticed is that Thalictrum foetidum L. is a promising plant for creation of phytotherapeutic medications with neurally mediated action.