Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. 3 (2026)

Organ-specific phytochemical composition and elemental distribution in Myosotis alpestris F.W.Schmidt

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.14601
Submitted
19 March 2026
Published
21-09-2026 — Updated on 30-09-2026
Versions

Abstract

This study examines the organ-specific metabolic profiles of Myosotis alpestris F.W. Schmidt, focusing on soluble carbohydrates, free amino acids, water-soluble vitamins, flavonoids and mineral elements. Samples of roots, leaves and stem–flower tissues were collected from natural populations and analysed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and multi-element analysis. The results showed that soluble carbohydrates, including glucose, fructose, sucrose and maltose, were unevenly distributed among plant organs, with the highest total carbohydrate content observed in stem–flower tissues. A total of 20 free amino acids were identified, with glutamine and cysteine
representing dominant components in aerial organs. Water-soluble vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B6, B9 and vitamin C) exhibited organ-specific accumulation patterns, with folic acid (B9) concentrated in roots and ascorbic acid in reproductive tissues. Flavonoid analysis revealed a more complex phenolic profile in aerial organs compared with roots. Elemental analysis demonstrated significant variation in macro-, micro- and trace element accumulation among plant organs, with calcium (Ca) and iron (Fe) predominantly enriched in stem–flower tissues. Overall, the findings indicate pronounced metabolic compartmentalisation in M. alpestris and demonstrate its potential as a valuable source of biologically active compounds. These results provide a foundation for future studies on the pharmacological, nutritional and ecological significance of this species.

References

  1. 1. Sennikov AN, editor. Flora Uzbekistan. Vol. 4. Tashkent: Fan Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan; 2022. xviii, p. 238.
  2. 2. Taiz L, Zeiger E. Plant Physiology and Development. 6th ed. Sunderland (MA): Sinauer Associates; 2015. p. 761.
  3. 3. Marschner P. Marschner's Mineral Nutrition of Higher Plants. 3rd ed. Amsterdam: Academic Press; 2012.
  4. 4. Broadley MR, White PJ, Hammond JP, Zelko I, Lux A, Hajiboland R. Towards a mechanistic understanding of plant mineral nutrition. New Phytol. 2012;193:6–15. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2011.04099.x
  5. 5. Forde BG, Lea PJ. Glutamate in plants: Metabolism, regulation and signalling. J Exp Bot. 2007;58(9):2339–58. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erm121
  6. 6. Smirnoff N. Ascorbic acid metabolism and function in plants. Annu Rev Plant Biol. 2018;69:1–28. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurevarplant-042817-040525
  7. 7. Chacón J, Luebert F, Weigend M. Biogeographic events are not correlated with diaspore dispersal modes in Boraginaceae. Front Ecol Evol. 2017;5:26. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2017.00026
  8. 8. Xun Y. High performance liquid chromatography for carbohydrate analysis. In: High-Performance Liquid Chromatography. Amway Corporation; 2016. p. 1–20.
  9. 9. Roriz CL, Alves RCN, Valente LM, Barros AS, Baptista P, Ferreira ICFR. HPLC profiles of tocopherols, sugars and organic acids in plant tissues. Antioxidants (Basel). 2014;3(4):708–28. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/241481
  10. 10. Bogdanov S, Martin P, Lüllmann C. Determination of sugars in honey by HPLC-RID and discussion of analytical standards. Apidologie. 2005;36:85–93. https://doi.org/10.1051/apido:2004052
  11. 11. Correia DM, Gomes S, Costa CM, Reis PM, Reguera J, Lanceros-Méndez S. Dietary sugars analysis: Quantification by HPLC-RI method. Front Nutr. 2014;1:11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2014.00011
  12. 12. Wei X, Ma X, Dong J, Zhang Y, Liu H, Wang Y. Development and validation of an HPLC-RID method for determination of sugars and polyols. Separations. 2023;10(3):199. https://doi.org/10.3390/separations10030199
  13. 13. Demydiak D, Kurylo K, Hroshovyi T, Konechna R, Vronska L, Futoma-Koloch B. DAD analysis of flavonoids and hydroxycinnamic acids in herbal extracts. Pharmacia. 2023;70(2):745–50. https://doi.org/10.3897/pharmacia.70.e94344
  14. 14. Kumari A, Walia S. Antioxidant activities and metabolic profiling using HPLC techniques. RSC Adv. 2017;7:8678–90. https://doi.org/10.1039/C6RA26384A
  15. 15. Sánchez-Machado DI, López-Cervantes J, López-Hernández J, Paseiro-Losada P, Simal-Lozano J. High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of amino acids in edible seaweeds after derivatization with phenyl isothiocyanate. J Chromatogr B. 1996;682:1–2. https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-4347(95)00469-7
  16. 16. AOAC International. Official Methods of Analysis. 20th ed. Gaithersburg (MD): AOAC International; 2016.
  17. 17. Cohen SA, Strydom DJ. Amino acid analysis utilizing phenyl isothiocyanate derivatives. Anal Biochem. 1988;174(1):1–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/0003-2697(88)90512-X
  18. 18. Bidlingmeyer BA, Cohen SA, Tarvin TL. Rapid analysis of amino acids using pre-column derivatization. J Chromatogr. 1984;336:93–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-4347(00)85133-6
  19. 19. Henderson JW, Ricker RD, Bidlingmeyer BA, Woodward C. Rapid, Accurate, Sensitive and Reproducible HPLC Analysis of Amino Acids. Agilent Technologies Application Note. Publication No. 5980-1193E. Waldbronn (Germany): Agilent Technologies; 2000.
  20. 20. Ndaw S, Bergaentzlé M, Aoudé-Werner D, Hasselmann C. Extraction procedures for the liquid chromatographic determination of thiamin, riboflavin and vitamin B6 in foodstuffs. J Chromatogr A. 2000;876(1–2):95–101. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0021-9673(00)00135-7
  21. 21. Santos J, Mendiola JA, Oliveira MBPP. Simultaneous determination of water-soluble vitamins by HPLC. Food Chem. 2012;135(3):1280–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.05.109
  22. 22. Hou X, Jones BT. Inductively coupled plasma/optical emission spectrometry. In: Meyers RA, editor. Encyclopedia of Analytical Chemistry. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons; 2000. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470027318.a5110
  23. 23. Lal MA, Bhatla SC. Nitrogen metabolism. In: Plant Physiology, Development and Metabolism. Singapore: Springer; 2023. p. 295–334. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-5736-1_11
  24. 24. Ezzaitouni M, Chileh-Chelh T, Rincón-Cervera MÁ, Gómez-Mercado F, Benteima H, López-Ruiz R, et al. Biocompounds and bioactivities of selected Greek Boraginaceae seeds. Appl Sci. 2024;14(14):6026. https://doi.org/10.3390/app14146026
  25. 25. Chrzanowska E, Denisow B, Ekiert H, Pietrzyk Ł. Metabolites obtained from Boraginaceae plants as potential cosmetic ingredients-a review. Molecules. 2024;29(21):5088. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29215088

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.