Abstract
The aim of the study was to assess the effects of Melittis melissophyllum shading on its development and accumulation of phenolics. Their content (verbascoside, apiin, luteolin-7-O-glucoside, coumarin, 3,4-dihydroxycoumarin, o-coumaric acid 2-O-glucoside as well as o-coumaric, p-coumaric, chlorogenic, caffeic, ferulic and cichoric acid) was determined in the herb using HPLC-DAD. The results showed that the content of abovementioned flavonoids and phenolic acids was highest in plants grown under full sunlight. On the other hand, a higher content of coumarin was observed in shaded plants, especially after the seed-setting stage. A similar tendency was noted for the amount of chlorophyll a and b. The content of hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde, the activity of polyphenol oxidase and catalase and the antioxidant capacity of plant extracts (measured using DPPH, ABTS and FRAP assays) were found to be the highest in the plants grown in full sunlight. However, the plants grown in moderate (30%) shade were found to thrive best.
Highlights
Bastard balm (Melittis melissophyllum L.) is a perennial plant with wintering rhizomes and hairy stems, with the height of up to 30–50 (80) cm
Our study showed that when grown in direct sunlight, M. melissophyllum, a typical shade-loving plant, produced more number of shoots than those grown in shade; the shoots were relatively short and the leaf area of those plants was 2–3 times smaller than those grown in shade (Table 1)
The plants grown in full sunlight produced 2–3 times more flavonoids and phenolic acids, compared to those grown in shade
Summary
Bastard balm (Melittis melissophyllum L.) is a perennial plant with wintering rhizomes and hairy stems, with the height of up to 30–50 (80) cm. It has downy, honey-scent foliage and white flowers with a pink lip, clustered at the tips of the stem. The plant grows on moist, rich soil, in partial shade [1,2]. The species is the only representative of the Lamiaceae family legally protected in Poland [3], facing numerous threats. Some of these include changes in the light and hydrological conditions on its habitats related to the natural development of deciduous trees and brushwood along with the age of forests and shadowing of the groundcover [4]
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