Identification of Plumbagin and Quercetin in Drosera genus

  • Nadia PĂUN National R&D Institute for Cryogenics and Isotopic Technologies Râmnicu Vâlcea
  • Violeta NICULESCU
  • Radu TAMAIAN
Keywords: natural pigments, quinones derivates, plumbagin, quercetin

Abstract

Recent researches revealed the therapeutically potential of natural pigments, such as quinones derivates (antitumoural, antibiotic, antimalaria, anti-inflammatory) and flavonoids (antibiotic, antioxidant, anticancer), (Didry et al., 1998). Quinones contain a benzoquinone, naphthoquinone, anthraquinone or phentanthrene nucleus. Flavonoids are C15 compounds having the structure C6-C3-C6 and may be grouped into three classes based on their general structure. In each case, two benzene rings are linked together by a group of three carbons. Drosera sp. contains two major groups of secondary metabolites, which are considered to be important pharmaceutical substances, naphthoquinones (NQ) and flavonoids (FLAV)–mainly quercetin and myricetin, as well as their glycosides (Juniper et al., 1989). Droseras’s plants raised in controlled environment were rinsed with ultrapure water in order to remove all residues before NQ and FLAV extraction.
Published
2010-10-17