Analele ştiinţifice ale Universităţii “Al. I. Cuza” Iaşi Tomul LVI, fasc. 2, s. II a. Biologie vegetală, 2010

BIOCHEMICAL AND PHYSYOLOGICAL RESEARCHES IN SALVIA

NEMOROSA L.

MAGDA COISIN*, CLAUDIA PĂDURARIU*, ANCA RALUCA ANDRO*, IRINA BOZ*, MARIA MAGDALENA ZAMFIRACHE*, I. BURZO**

Abstract: The paper presents a few biochemical and functional characteristics in Salvia nemorosa L. (Lamiaceae), an aromatic and medicinal plant widely spread in Romania. The biochemical investigations aimed at dosing the leaf assimilating pigments dosing, water and dry substance content and volatile oil composition (as products having aromatic and phototherapeutic properties ) of oils secreted in different ontogenetic stages. Water and dry substance content has been determined using the gravimetric method and the assimilating pigments (chlorophyll and carotenoid pigments) have been dosed using the spectrophotometric method. Volatile oils have been extracted through hydrodistilation using a Clevenger apparatus. The compounds separation had been carried out through gas-chromatography using an Agilant GC-MS 6890 device. The identification of volatile compounds has been carried out using a spectrum bank. In the studied material, hydration level, dry substance content, assimilating pigments content produced by the leaves varies with to the harvesting moment (plant age) and with the investigated organ (component fractions of the volatile oil). Key words: Lamiaceae, assimilating pigments, volatile oils

Introduction

The plant family Lamiaceae contains several species with potential therapeutic

activity due to their essential oils. The genus Salvia (tribe Menthae) belongs to the large family of Lamiaceae and consists of about 900 species organized in five subgenera distributed in all around the world [6]. Many Salvia sp. are used as herbal tea and for food flavoring, as well as in cosmetics, perfumery and the pharmaceutical industry. The secondary metabolites, namely essential oils and plant extract of some Salvia species, are known to possess antioxidant, antimicrobial, antifungal and aromatic properties [4, 5]. Therefore, they are intensely screened and applied in the fields of pharmacology, medical and food preservation [3]. Salvia nemorosa L.is an aromatic and medicinal plant widely spread in Romania. Our investigations aimed at dosing the leaf assimilatory pigments, water and dry substance content in different plant development stages, and determining the volatile oil composition as a secretion product with real aromatic and phototherapeutic properties. Today, because of their numerous properties, Salvia species are of growing economic importance. Hence, numerous phytochemical studies on many species of this genus were undertaken [4]. The great part of these studies was focused on their essential oils composition and their applications.

                                                            *Universitatea “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” Iaşi, Facultatea de Biologie, B-dul Carol I, nr. 11, 700506 – Ia�i, Romania, Tel/fax: 0040/0232201472 **Universitatea de Ştiinţe Agronomice şi Medicină Veterinară Bucureşti, Facultatea de Horticultură

 

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Material and methods

The vegetal material is represented by Salvia nemorosa L. plants collected in all the three vegetative stages from Negreşti, Vaslui district during May - September 2010 period.

To determine the hydration level of the vegetal organisms and dry substance content, the gravimetric method has been used and the identification of the assimilating pigments has been carried out using the classical Mayer – Bertenrath with modifications made by Ştirban and Fărcuş.

Volatile oil has been extracted using a Clevenger hydrodistilation apparatus. The qualitative analysis of the volatile oil has been carried out using GC-MS (gas-chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry).

Results and discussions

Our investigations regarding the dry substance and water content show an increase

of the dry substance quantity determined by the ontogenetic cycle and a decrease of the water content which stays above 75 g%, this value permits the good functioning of the analyzed plant mesophyllic cells (Plate I: fig. 1).

The chlorophyll a quantity reached a quantitative maximum in the anthesis stage, followed by a progressive decrease until the end of the vegetative period (Plate I: fig. 2).

Chlorophyll b has a clear tendency of quantitative reduction with the growth of the tested plants (the maximum quantitative value in the vegetative stage and minimum value in the fructification stage), correlated with the plant preparing for the end of the onthogenetic cycle (Plate II: fig. 3).

Regarding the leaf carotenoid pigments content, the highest value is reached in the fructification stage of plant development (Plate II: fig. 4) and the chlorophyll a and b ratio is the highest in the anthesis stage (Plate III: fig. 5).

In the volatile oil extracted from Salvia nemorosa L. whole plants in anthesis plant developement stage, 22 compounds have been identified. As shown in Table 1, the main chemical compounds belonging to the monoterpenes category. The main compounds are: sabinene (33.93%), β-cariophyllene (19.86%), β-cubebene (11.87%) and α-cariophyllene (6.37%). (Table I, Plate III: fig. 6).

Table I. Percentage composition of the volatile oil from Salvia nemorosa L.

No.

Compounds

Percentage in oil

1. Sabinene 33.938 2. β-cariophyllene 19.860 3. β-cubebene 11.877 4. α- cariophyllene 6.373 5. cariophyllene oxid 4.210 6. γ-terpinene 3.884

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Sabinene β-cariophyllene β-cubebene α-cariophyllene cariophyllene oxid γ-terpinene Limonene

33.938 19.860 11.877 6.373 4.210 3.884 2.612

8. α-tujone 2.073 9. β-mircene 1.416 10. β-pinene 1.303

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11. α-terpinolene 1.251 12. Cimol 0.885 13. Elixene 0.810 14. Terpinolene 0.712 15. β-burbonene 0.534 16. Alloaromadendrene oxid (1) 0.515 17. β- cadinene 0.512 18. Alloaromadendrene oxid (2) 0.486 19. α-pinene 0.384 20. r-cadinen 0.308 21. Pulegone 0.304 22. α-terpinil-acetate 0.300

Conclusions

In the investigated biologic material, the level of hydration, the dry substance

content and the content of assimilating pigments produced by the leaves vary due to the moment of plant harvest (age of the plant).

The volatile oil produced by the investigated Salvia nemorosa plants is rich in monoterpenes, having thus antiseptic (bactericide), carminative, anti spastic and diuretic properties.

REFERENCES

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9. ZAMFIRACHE M. M., BURZO I., GOSTIN I., IVĂNESCU L., BERCIU I., GALEŞ R., PĂDURARIU C., OLTEANU Z., MIHĂŞAN M., TRUŢĂ E., 2009 - Micromorphology, anatomy and volatile constituents of leaf in some Lamiaceae species. 75, 9: 1060, Planta Medica.

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Acknowledgements

This investigation was supported by the Program “Developing the innovation capacity and improving the impact of research through post-doctoral programs POSDRU/89/1.5/S/49944” and project IDEI Cod CNCSIS 2100, Tema 1040/2009 and by the Program „Posdru/88/1.5/s/47646, co-financed by the Social European Fund through The Operational Sectorial Human Resources Development Program 2007-2013

Exlanation of plates: PLATE I Water and dry substance variation in Salvia nemorosa L. – Figure 1 Chlorophyl a quantitative variation in Salvia nemorosa L.– Figure 2 PLATE II Chlorophyl b quantitative variation in Salvia nemorosa L.– Figure 3 Carotenoid pigments variation in Salvia nemorosa L.– Figure 4 PLATE III Chlorophyl a chlorophyl b ratio in Salvia nemorosa L.– Figure 5 Chemical composition of volatile oil of Salvia nemorosa L. – Figure 6

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MAGDA COISIN and colabs. PLATE I

Figure 1

Figure 2

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MAGDA COISIN and colabs. PLATE II

Figure 3

Figure 4

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MAGDA COISIN and colabs. PLATE III

Figure 5

Figure 6

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