Romanian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences
 

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INFLUENCE OF FERTILIZER TREATMENT ON THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF SOME CALENDULA OFFICINALIS VARIETIES CULTIVATED IN ROMANIA

ILIOARA ONIGA 1, ANCA TOIU 1*, DANIELA HANGANU 1, LAURIAN VLASE 1, MARCEL DUDA 2, DANIELA BENEDEC 1

1.“Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, 12 Ion Creangă Street, 400010, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
2.University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Phytotechnology, 3-5 Mănăștur Alley, 400372, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

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In order to select a good genetic material for cultivation, the influence of fertilizer on the biosynthesis of active principles from the inflorescences of six Calendula officinalis L. (marigold) varieties was investigated. The marigold flowers were cultivated and harvested from Romania, Cluj County. The qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed by spectrophotometric methods and HPLC. The concentrations of flavonoids (0.43 - 0.66%, expressed in rutin), phenylpropane derivatives (0.21 - 1.25%, expressed in caffeic acid) and carotenoids (0.40 - 0.75%, expressed in beta-carotene) were determined. Although the ‘Agrosel 696’ and ‘Starsem 922’ varieties were the richest in flavonoids and phenylpropane derivatives, other varieties, as ‘Cluj 2’ and ‘Novi Sad’ may be preferred for cultivation as natural sources of carotenoids. The use of fertilizer stimulated, in small degree, the biosynthesis of flavonoids, but it decreased the quantities of carotenoids and phenylpropane derivatives. All samples were in accordance with the requirements of the European Pharmacopoeia (min 0.4% flavonoids).