Mangiferin and total phenol content in two Iris species during the vegetative season in genotypes originating from contrasting habitats

Abstract

Polyphenols (phenolic acids, flavonoids, xanthones) are a large and chemically diverse class of secondary metabolites which occur widely in plants. Iris species are known to be rich in isoflavonoids, flavonoids and Cglucoxanthones. Mangiferin, naturally occurring C-glucoxanthone, was the first xanthone to be investigated pharmacologically and has been found to exhibit various pharmacological and biological effects. Iris pumila and Iris variegata are native to the area stretching through central and southeastern Europe. Genotypes of these two congeneric species inhabited locations with contrasting light conditions (exposed grassy and forest habitats) in Deliblato Sands, protected sandy area 40 km NE from Belgrade, Serbia. Above- (leaves) and below-ground (rhizomes) plant organs were taken for secondary metabolite analysis in the beginning and at the end of the vegetative season (spring and autumn). The purpose of This research was to screen two Iris species for their mangiferin and total phenolic content using HPLC and Folin-Ciocalteu method. In addition, we wanted to establish if clones of each species growing in contrasting habitats differed in the content of these compounds. Mangiferin amount in leaves was higher in spring then in autumn in both Iris species. The same pattern was observed in rhizomes of I.variegata. Total phenol content in spring was higher in leaves comparing to rhizomes in genotypes inhabiting both localities. Contrary, in autumn, higher total phenolics were observed in rhizomes of genotypes originating from both habitats in both Iris species.