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Influence of Polish Climate Conditions on Content and the Chemical Variation of Volatiles in the Roots of Six Eleutherococcus Species and Their Potential Use

Daniel Załuski and Helena D. Smolarz

Chair and Department of Pharmacognosy, Jagiellonian University, Collegium Medicum

9 Medyczna Street, 30 – 568 Cracow, Poland

Chair and Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, Medical University of Lublin 1 Chodźki Street, 20-093 Lublin, Poland

Abstract: The aim of this study was the term of the climate influence on essential oil and aroma components of six Eleutherococcus species [E. senticosus (Rupr. & Maxim.) Maxim., E. setchuensis (Harms) Nakai, E. sessiliflorus (Rupr. & Maxim.) S. Y. Hu, E. gracilistylus (W. W. Smith) S. Y. Hu, E. henryi Oliv., E. divaricatus (Siebold & Zucc.) S. Y. Hu ] cultivated in Poland. The hydrodistilled volatiles of the samples were ranged from 0.2% to 0.4%. The components of the determined volatiles were analyzed by GC/MS/MS. Thirty of the same compounds were present in all samples. Major components of the samples were (E,E)-farnesol (43.6-6.9%), (E,Z)-farnesol (7.2-0.7%), (Z,E)-farnesol (1.4-0.1%), tetradecanoic acid (9.91-2.08%), and pentadecanoic acid (12.8-3.5%). Highest (E,E)-farnesol content (43.6%) was determined in the roots of E. divaricatus. This compound may be considered as chemical marker of the species. This is the first time, when the analysis of volatiles in the roots of Eleutherococcus spp. cultivated in Poland was performed. This study provides a platform for further investigation for the isolation and pharmacological activity of active principles.

Keywords: Eleutherococcus ; GC/MS/MS; Essential oil; Farnesol; Phytotherapy; Climate. © 2015 ACG Publications. All rights reserved.