Molecules, Vol. 28, Pages 3956: Phytochemical Characterization of Purple Coneflower Roots (Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench.) and Their Extracts

Molecules, Vol. 28, Pages 3956: Phytochemical Characterization of Purple Coneflower Roots (Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench.) and Their Extracts Molecules doi: 10.3390/molecules28093956 Authors: Ani Petrova Manol Ognyanov Nadezhda Petkova Petko Denev Echinacea purpurea is a perennial plant that belongs to the Asteraceae family. It has a wide range of applications mainly in the treatment and prevention of inflammations in the respiratory system. The current study aimed to perform a phytochemical characterization of purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) roots and their extracts (water, 40%, 50%, 60% ethanol, and 60% glycerol). Phytochemical characterization was carried out by gravimetric, spectrophotometric, and chromatographic methods. Echinacea roots were characterized by a low lipid (0.8%) content. In contrast, carbohydrates (45%) and proteins (20%) occupied a large part of the dry matter. Amongst the extracts, the highest yield was obtained using water as a solvent (53%). Water extract was rich in protein and carbohydrates as fructans (inulin) were the most abundant carbohydrate constituent. The most exhaustive recovery of the phenolic components was conducted by extraction with 40% ethanol and 60% glycerol. It was found that water is the most suitable extractant for obtaining a polysaccharide-containing complex (PSC) (8.87%). PSC was composed mainly of fructans (inulin) and proteins with different molecular weight distributions. The yield of PSC decreased with...
Source: Molecules - Category: Chemistry Authors: Tags: Article Source Type: research