RESEARCH OF FLAVONOIDS OF SWEET-SCENT MARIGOLD (TAGETES LUCIDA CAV.)

Abstract

Introduction. A promising source of new drugs are species of the genus Tagetes, which are cultivated in Ukraine as a technical and ornamental plant. Medicinal properties of marigold are used in traditional medicine as an immunosuppressant, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, choleretic and sedative agent. Sweet-scent marigold (Tagetes lucida Cav.) is the little-studied species of the genus Tagetes, which was introduced into culture of Ukraine by scientists from the Department of Flowering and Ornamental Plants of M. M. Hryshko National Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Kyiv).

The aim of the study – to research and rcompare the content of flavonoids in raw materials (flowers, leaves, roots, seeds, stems) of sweet-scent marigolds.

Research Methods. Flavonoids were detected in ethanol-aqueous extracts by identification reactions and TLC method. The quantitative content of the sum of flavonoids was determined on UV-1800 Shimadzu spectrophotometer (Japan) at a wavelength of 415 nm in terms of rutin. HPLC on Agilent 1200 chromatograph (Agilent Technologies, USA) detected and quantified individual flavonoid compounds.

Results and Discussion. Positive results of identification reactions indicated the presence of flavonoids in the raw material of sweet-scent marigold. The presence of quercetin and kaempferol in flowers, leaves, roots, seeds and stems was established by TLC. Rutin is found in all studied raw materials, except for stems. The HPLC method revealed 6 individual flavonoids in marigold’s flowers and seeds, 5 – in leaves, 4 – in roots and stems. Most quercetin was detected in the studied objects. In seeds, leaves and flowers, its content was the highest and was 6322.13 μg/g, 4006.79 μg/g and 3734.08 μg/g, respectively. All types of raw material of marigold also contained kaempferol, which was the biggest part in flowers – 303.29 mcg/g. The spectrophotometric method determined that the highest content of the amount of flavonoids was contained in the seeds of sweet-scent marigold and was (7.89±0.18) %, the least of them in the stems – (1.86±0.08) %.

Conclusions. Identification reactions revealed the presence of flavonoids in marigold’s flowers, leaves, roots, seeds and stems. TLC revealed quercetin, kaempferol, rutin (except stems), isoquercitrin (except roots), apigenin (flowers only). By HPLC, 6 individual flavonoids were found in marigold’s flowers and seeds, 5 – in leaves, and 4 – in roots and stems. Most quercetin was detected in the studied objects. The quantitative content of the sum of flavonoids in the raw material of sweet-scent marigold was determined by spectrophotometric method. Their highest content in seeds was (7.89±0.18) %, slightly lower, which was (6.58±0.12) %, in the leaves.