Phenolic acid and flavonoid diversity in four Eucalyptus species

Abstract

The economic importance of Eucalyptus trees is due to their rapid growth and high biomass productivity, as well as the beneficial chemical compounds found in their various tissues. Eucalyptus cultivation is common in the southern part of Turkey, especially in the coastal areas of the Mediterranean. In this study, phenolic acids and flavonoids were analyzed in methanol extracts leaf tissues of four eucalyptus species by HPLC. Fifteen different phenolic compounds were determined in the leaf tissues of the four Eucalyptus species examined. The highest total phenolic amounts were found in E. botryoides (160.56 mg g-1DW), followed by E. tereticornis (66.47 mg g⁻¹ DW) and E. citriodora (64.02 mg g⁻¹ DW). Twelve different compounds were determined in E. botryoides and E. citriodora species, 10 in the hybrid E. camaldulensis x grandis and 9 in E. tereticornis. E. botryoides was evaluated as a natural source for catechin, E. citriodora for t-ferulic acid and rosmarinic acid, and E. tereticornis for gallic acid were evaluated as rich sources.

Keywords

• Polyphenol
• Eucalypthus
• HPLC
• aromatic plants

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