title: Tronchuda cabbage flavonoids uptake by Pieris brassicae.
abstract: The flavonoid pattern of larvae of cabbage white butterfly (Pieris brassicae L.; Lepidoptera: Pieridae) reared on the leaves of tronchuda cabbage was analysed by HPLC-DAD-MS/MS-ESI. Twenty flavonoids were identified or characterised, namely 16 kaempferol and four quercetin derivatives. Kaempferol 3-O-sophoroside, a minor component of tronchuda cabbage, was found to be the main component in P. brassicae (15.8%). Apart from this, only two other flavonoids present in significant amounts in tronchuda cabbage (kaempferol 3-O-sophoroside-7-O-glucoside and kaempferol 3-O-sophoroside-7-O-sophoroside) were found in the larvae. The larvae have high amounts of quercetin derivatives (18.5%), which were present only in trace amounts in tronchuda cabbage extracts, suggesting that P. brassicae is able to selectively sequester these flavonoids. The occurrence of a high content of flavonoids not detectable in tronchuda cabbage extracts indicates that P. brassicae larvae are able to metabolize dietary flavonoids.
authors.affiliation: Research Group on Quality, Safety and Bioactivity of Plant Foods, Department of Food Science and Technology, CEBAS (CSIC), P.O. Box 164, 30100 Campus University, Espinardo, Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferreres
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Valentão
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Rosa M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Seabra
authors.forename: Paula B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Andrade
mesh_terms: D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D029791:Ericaceae / Q000378:metabolism*; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000378:metabolism*; D012015:Reference Standards; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization
chemical_list: D005419:Flavonoids