Comparative analysis of phenolic compounds in four taxa of Erigeron acris s. l. ( Asteraceae )

The aim of the present work was to investigate and compare the content of phenolic compounds in four taxa of Erigeron acris L. s. l.: E. acris (EAA), E. acris subsp. droebachiensis (O.F. Müll.) Arcang. (EAD), E. acris subsp. serotinus (Weihe) Greuter (EAS) and E . × huelsenii Vatke (EH), a hybrid between E. acris and E. canadensis L. The total flavonoid content was determined by Christ-Müller method and the total phenolic acid content was determined by the method utilizing Arnov’s reagent. The method using ultra high performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection (UHPLC-PDA) was applied for the separation, identification and quantification of nine phenolic compounds (protocatechuic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, 6′- O -caffeoylerigeroside, scutellarein-7- O -β-D-glucuronide, quercetin 3- O -glucoside, 4,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, quercetin and luteolin) in the aerial parts of E. acris s. l. The chromatographic separation was carried out using a BEH C 18 column packed with 1.7-μm particles and gradient elution with a mobile phase of water and methanol, both containing 0.02% ( v /v) trifluoroacetic acid. The four investigated taxa of E. acris s. l. differed in the composition and the content of phenolic compounds. The main substances determined in the methanolic herbal extracts were: scutellarein-7- O -β-D-glucuronide (EAA, EAS, EAD and EH), 6′- O- caffeoylerigeroside (EAA, EAD and EH) and chlorogenic acid (EAS and EH). Moreover, the results indicated that five of the nine tested compounds were found in all investigated extracts from herbs of E. acris s. l. Two of them (6′- O -caffeoylerigeroside and scutellarein-7- O -β-D-glucuronide) could be selected as potential chemotaxonomic markers of the genus Erigeron L.