Comparison of phenolic composition of ten Salix species

Willow bark (Salicis cortex, Salix sp., Salicaceae) is well known for its analgesic, antiphlogistic, and antipyretic efficacy. Besides salicylic alcohol derivatives, further phenolic components contribute to the pharmacological effects. Thus, knowledge about the phenolic composition of Salicis cortex is of great interest.

The present study was conducted to investigate the variations in the phytochemical composition of willow bark. Ten Salix species were analysed for their phenolic component profile during the growing season of 2017 (June-September). The investigated species were Salix purpurea (1), S. daphnoides (2), S. fragilis (3), S. bicolor (4), S. hastata (5), S. caesia (6), S. aurita (7), S. viminalis (8), S. lapponum (9), S. x sepulcralis (10). All individuals were localised at the Ecological-Botanical Gardens at the University of Bayreuth, Germany.

Methanolic extracts of the bark of these willow species were analysed by applying a UPLC-PDA method. To characterise the extracts, a spectral reference database for the automated assignment of UV spectra was created.

A principal component analysis (PCA) of the obtained data suggests dividing the studied species into three groups by their phenolic profile. One group is defined by its increased amounts of caffeic acid derivatives, as well as flavan-3-ols ((2), (3), (5), (6), (10)), the second group by flavanones (1), and the third by caffeic alcohol glycosides and partly flavanonols ((4), (7), (8), (9)). These results were compared to the plants relationship based on morphological characteristics, where differences, as well as similarities, were recognisable.

 

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Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Publication History

Article published online:
16 November 2023