VARIATION OF POLYPHENOLS AND IRON CONCENTRATION IN
MENTHA X PIPERITA L. BY DEVELOPMENT STAGE AND SOIL TYPE
ROBERT ANCUCEANU1, MARILENA VIORICA HOVANEȚ1*, ADRIANA IULIANA ANGHEL1, MIHAELA DINU1, ALINA DUNE2, MARIA CIOLEA2, OCTAVIAN TUDOREL OLARU1, CARMEN POPESCU2,3
1“Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
2S.C. HOFIGAL Export Import S.A., Bucharest, Romania
3“Vasile Goldiş” Western University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Arad, Romania
*corresponding author: marilenaviorica@yahoo.com
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Abstract:
The variation of polyphenols, flavonoids and iron concentrations in the different organs of Mentha x piperita L. by soil type
and ontogenetic development stage of the plant is less known. We have investigated the quantitative variation of total
polyphenols (spectrophotometrically, using the Folin-Ciocâlteu method), total flavonoids (spectrophotometrically, with the
aluminium chloride chelation method) and iron in roots, stems and leaves of this species at three development stages,
cultivated on three different soils (a brown-reddish forest soil, chernozem soil of argic and cambic type, rich in humus, and a
preluvosol with clay texture, rich in carbonates derived from carbonate rocks). Significant interactions were found between
soil and development stage when assessing the relationship between total polyphenols, flavonoids, iron and these two
nominal variables. The highest level of total polyphenols was found in roots and subterraneous organs, while leaves were
richest in flavonoids (not quantifiable in stems and subterraneous organs). The iron concentration tended to increase with
each development stage in all three organs. There is virtually no correlation between total polyphenols or flavonoids and iron,
but a monotonic relationship was confirmed between polyphenol and flavonoid levels.

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