VARIATION OF POLYPHENOLS AND IRON CONCENTRATION IN MENTHA X PIPERITA L. BY DEVELOPMENT STAGE AND SOIL TYPE
ROBERT ANCUCEANU 1, MARILENA VIORICA HOVANEȚ 1*, ADRIANA IULIANA ANGHEL 1, MIHAELA DINU 1, ALINA DUNE 2, MARIA CIOLEA 2, OCTAVIAN TUDOREL OLARU 1, CARMEN POPESCU 2,3
1.“Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
2.S.C. HOFIGAL Export Import S.A., Bucharest, Romania
3.“Vasile Goldiş” Western University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Arad, Romania
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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.
