Metabolomic analysis of Echinacea spp. by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry and multivariate data analysis technique.
BACKGROUND
The genus Echinacea (Asteraceae) comprises about 10 species originally distributed in North America. Three species are very well known as they are used worldwide as medicinal plants: Echinacea purpurea, E. pallida, E. angustifolia.


OBJECTIVE
To discriminate between these three Echinacea species and E. simulata by (1)H NMR-based metabolomics.


METHODS
(1)H NMR and multivariate analysis techniques were applied to diverse Echinacea plants including roots and aerial parts, authentic plants, commercial plants and commercial dry extracts.


RESULTS
Using the (1)H NMR metabolomics, it was possible, without previous evaporation or separation steps, to obtain a metabolic fingerprint to distinguish between species.


CONCLUSIONS
A clear distinction between the three pharmaceutical species was possible and some useful metabolites were identified.
Frédérich
Michel
M
Laboratory of Pharmacognosy, Natural and Synthetic Drug Research Center, University of Liège, Avenue de l'Hópital, 1, B36, B-4000 Liège, Belgium. M.Frederich@ulg.ac.be
Jansen
Céline
C
de Tullio
Pascal
P
Tits
Monique
M
Demoulin
Vincent
V
Angenot
Luc
L
D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D020900:Echinacea / Q000378:metabolism*; D055432:Metabolomics; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D019906:Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular / Q000379:methods*