Insights into the Phytochemical Composition and Bioactivities of Seeds from Wild Peony Species.

Zhenguo Yan,Lixin Niu,Yao Tian,Jing Ni,Yanlong Zhang,Lihang Xie,Mengchen Li

doi:10.3390/plants9060729

Zhenguo Yan, Lixin Niu + Show 5 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9060729

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Abstract

Peony is an important medicinal and ornamental plant widely cultivated in the world. Its seeds as a functional food source have attracted much more attention in recent years, and they are rich in monoterpene glycosides and phenolic compounds. To assess the application value of wild peony seeds, the main chemical composition and content, such as total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), total flavanol content (TAC), and α and γ tocopherol content, of the seeds from 12 species and 2 subspecies were systematically explored in the present study. Four different antioxidant assays (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, and HRSA), antibacterial, and antifungal assays were also performed using various in vitro biochemical methods. The results showed that the seeds of P. delavayi, P. obovata. subsp. obovata, and P. rockii. subsp. rockii had a high content of TPC, TFC, and TAC, respectively. Twenty-five individual chemical compounds were qualitatively and quantitatively measured by HPLC-MS, with paeoniflorin being the most abundant compound in all samples. P. mairei was grouped individually into a group via hierarchical cluster analysis according to its relatively highest monoterpene glycosides and TPC content. This work has provided a basis for the development and utilization of seeds for the selection of wild peony species of dietary interest.

Highlights

Peony is an important medicinal plant in China and is recorded in the Pharmacopoeia of the People’s Republic of China
The total phenolic content (TPC) of leaves from P. rockii was considerably lower than that observed in our research
The results showed that the seed was an important natural resource of a relatively large amount of monoterpene glycosides, which has great development potential for food and medicinal purposes, especially those of P. mairei and P. stemiana

Summary

Introduction

Peony is an important medicinal plant in China and is recorded in the Pharmacopoeia of the People’s Republic of China. The root of the peony is well known as “Baishao”, “Chishao”, and “Danpi”, and has been used for the treatment of dementia and blood stagnation syndrome and as an antihyperglycemic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antispasmodic agent [1,2]. Because of its high ornamental value, the peony is an important ornamental flower and is widely planted in China, Japan, Europe, and the United States [3]. There are 33 species and 25 subspecies belonging to the genus Paeonia L. A total of 15 species and 5 subspecies are widely distributed in China, where is the natural distribution center of the genus Paeonia [4]

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