Sesquiterpene Lactone Content in Leaves of in vitro and Field Cultivated Arnica montana*

T. J. Schmidt; U. Bomme; A. W. Alfermann

doi:10.1055/s-2006-957423

Planta Medica, Table of Contents

Planta Med 1998; 64(3): 268-270
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-957423

Letters

Letter
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Sesquiterpene Lactone Content in Leaves of in vitro and Field Cultivated *Arnica montana**

T. J. Schmidt¹ , U. Bomme² , A. W. Alfermann³

¹Institut für Pharmazeutische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Germany
²Bayerische Landesanstalt für Bodenkultur und Pflanzenbau (LBP), Freising, Germany
³Institut für Entwicklungs-und Molekularbiologie der Pflanzen, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany

* Some of the results presented here were presented as a poster on the 19th LOF symposium, Antwerp, November 1994 and were published in abstract form in Pharmacy World & Science (1994) 16 (6), I10.

Abstract

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Abstract

On the basis of GC and GC/MS analyses we report on the full qualitative and quantitative sesquiterpene lactone (STL) content of in vitro cultivated A. montana plantlets consisting of helenalin and 11α,13-dihydrohelenalin esters in approximately equal amounts. The accumulation of STL was shown to be correlated with tissue differentiation in the above-ground parts. The seasonal variation of STL content in leaves of A. montana cultivated in the proving field was investigated. Changes in the composition of the STL fraction were detected. While young plants accumulate mainly helenalin derivatives, the content of such compounds decreases to almost zero within about 6 weeks from the beginning of leaf formation while that of dihydrohelenalin type compounds increases at the same rate and remains constant for a longer period.

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