Chemical composition of Hypericum pruinatum Boiss. and Bal. from wild populations of Northern Turkey

Abstract

The present study was conducted to determine the variation in the content of several plant chemicals, namely hyperforin, hypericin, pseudohypericin, chlorogenic acid, rutin, hyperoside, isoquercetine, kaempferol, quercitrine and quercetine among five Hypericum pruinatum Boiss. & Bal. populations from Northern Turkey. The aerial parts representing a total of 30 shoots were collected at full flowering. After dried at room temperature, they were assayed for the chemicals by HPLC and the presence of isoquercetine and kaempferol in this species was reported by us for the first time. The populations varied significantly in chemical contents. Plants from Ladik population produced the highest amount of hypericin, chlorogenic acid, hyperoside, isoquercetine, quercitrine and quercetine. Hyperforin and rutin of whole shoots reached the highest level in Cankiri population. The chemical variation among the populations and plant parts was discussed as possible results of different genetic and environmental factors.