Planta Medica International Open 2017; 4(S 01): S1-S202
DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1608500
Poster Session
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Cultivation of Black Cohosh: Non-targeted Chemical Profiling and Comparison to Wild

M Bittner
1   Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Biology, Berlin, Germany
,
A Springer
2   Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Core Facility BioSupraMol, Berlin, Germany
,
R Schenk
3   Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Albrecht Daniel Thaer-Institute for Crop Science, Berlin, Germany
,
MF Melzig
1   Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Biology, Berlin, Germany
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
24 October 2017 (online)

 

Black Cohosh (BC, Actaea racemosa (L.), Ranunculaceae) is a widely used herbal remedy. Wild-harvest in multi-tons leads to endangerment of the species. Efforts are made to establish cultivation. Nevertheless, different BC genotypes may exist [1], and physiography influences the rhizomes' chemical composition [2]. This can influence efficacy of herbal products.

In this study, we chemically profile BC rhizomes from cultivation and wild-harvests. By non-targeted secondary metabolite profiling via LC/MS we explore differences between the two. We analysed methanol rhizome extracts of 42 specimen, from wild-harvests in the US (n= 8), and from worldwide sources (n= 26) together with clone-plants (vegetative propagation, n= 8), both cultivated in Berlin. We generated metabolic data by high-resolution UPLC/ESI-QToF-MS analyses. For multivariate analysis, binning (bin-size m/z 2) was performed [3].

Generally, composition of extracts from wild plants showed quantitative differences in comparison to cultivated. This is in line with previous findings [4]. In hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), both entities grouped separately. Especially, mass spectral bins representing triterpenes (37 bins with FC≥2/-LOG10(p)≥4 (t-tests); i.e. bins m/z 645_647 (FC = 3.1/-LOG10(p)= 10.3) or 661_663 (FC = 2.3/-LOG10(p)= 6.2) were significantly more abundant in wild. Bins indicating fragments of polyphenols in (+)-ESI, like m/z 177_179 (FC = 1.2/-LOG10(p)= 1.9) were not highly changed. In HCA of only cultivated plants samples clustered, too, supporting chemotype existence. Furthermore, clone-plants built a dense group, indicating homogeneity.

Growing conditions influence the compositions of extracts. Differences between i.e. wild/cultivated/chemotypes should be considered during clinical efficacy evaluation.

The authors thank Maged Sharaf, Ph.D. (AHPA) for provision of wild-harvested specimens.

[1] Motley TJ et al. Proceedings of the Global Summit on Medicinal Plants 2004; 1: 112 – 118

[2] Vickers A et al. Am J Plant Sci 2015;6:3272 – 3281

[3] Grace SC et al. BMC bioinformatics 2014;15Suppl11:S12

[4] Bittner M et al. Planta Med 2017;DOI:10.1055/s-0043 – 108122