Triterpene saponins and flavonoids in the seeds of Trifolium species.
Seeds of 57 species of the genus Trifolium have been studied for the occurrence and concentration of soyasapogenol B glycosides and flavonoids. It was shown that all tested species contained soyasaponin I and in some species astragaloside VIII and/or 22-O-glucoside and 22-O-diglucoside of soyasaponin I were also present. Total concentration of saponins ranged from trace amounts up to 10 mg/g(DM). It was suggested that soyasapogenol B glycosides could be recognized as chemotaxonomic character of Fabaceae family. All but three tested species contained flavonoids. The majority of species contained quercetin as a sole flavonoid or in the mixture with a number of unidentified flavonoid components. Concentration of quercetine in some species was at the level of about 3 mg/g(DM). This high quercetin concentration and soyasaponin occurrence makes the seeds of some Trifolium species a potential source of health beneficial phytochemicals, to be used in human nutrition.
Oleszek
Wieslaw
W
Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation, ul. Czartoryskich 8, 24-100, Pulawy, Poland. wo@iung.pulawy.pl
Stochmal
Anna
A
D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000032:analysis*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D012503:Saponins / Q000032:analysis*; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry*; D013729:Terpenes / Q000032:analysis*; D029921:Trifolium / Q000737:chemistry*
D005419:Flavonoids; D012503:Saponins; D013729:Terpenes