title: Metabolomic analysis of Echinacea spp. by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry and multivariate data analysis technique.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: 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
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frédérich
authors.forename: Céline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: de Tullio
authors.forename: Monique
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tits
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Demoulin
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Angenot
mesh_terms: 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*