Botanica Pacifica. A journal of plant science and conservation. 2019. 8(1): 57–61 DOI: 10.17581/bp.2019.08101 Notes on the saponins in the plants of the family Hydrocharitaceae Yana I. Kotelnaya1, Еlena А. Alekhina1*, Аndrey N. Efremov1, Yana V. Bolotova2, Мariya V. Guselnikova3, Svetlana A. Nikolaenko4 & Cezary Toma5 Yana I. Kotelnaya1 ABSTRACT e-mail: [email protected] According to the available literature data, the absence of saponins and sapogenins Еlena А. Alekhina1 in the composition could be typical for the representatives of the Hydrocharita- e-mail: [email protected] ceae family. However, in the study of the component composition, the screening Аndrey N. Efremov1 test for saponins gave a positive result. In this regard, studies have been carried e-mail: [email protected] out to determine the content of saponins (in terms of glycyrrhizic acid) in the phyo t mass of some species of the Hydrocharitaceae family (Egeria densa, Elodea Yana V. Bolotova2 ca na den sis, Hydrilla verticillata, Нydrocharis morsus-ranae, H. dubia, Najas marina, Stratiotes e-mail: [email protected] aloi des, Vallisneria americana) from different regions of Eurasia. The highest amount Мariya V. Guselnikova3 of saponins is contained in the phytomass Hydrocharis dubia (5.1±0.3 %), H. morsus- e-mail: [email protected] ranae (3.6±0.5 %) and Stratiotes aloides (3.4±0.3 %), the smallest in Elodea canadensis (1.2±0.2 %). According to the content of saponins (in terms of glycyrrhi zic acid), Svetlana A. Nikolaenko4 the studied plants of the family Hydrocharitaceae could be divided into two groups: e-mail: [email protected] with the largest (more than 3 %), interesting as the raw material base, and the small- Cezary Toma5 est (less than 3 %). On model species, seasonal changes in the content of saponins e-mail: [email protected] are confirmed, the content is statistically significantly diffe rent by 1.3 times. Keywords: Hydrocharitaceae, glycyrrhizic acid, triterpenoid saponins, composition, phytochemistry 1 Omsk State Pedagogical University, 644099, Omsk, Russia РЕЗЮМЕ 2 Amur branch of the Botanical Garden- Котельная Я. И., Алехина Е. А., Ефремов А. Н., Болотова Я. В., Гу сель­ Institute FEB RAS, Blagoveshchensk, никова М. В., Николаенко С., Тома Ц. Сапонины растений семейст ва Russia Hydrocharitaceae. Согласно имеющимся литературным данным, для пред- 3 Surgut State Pedagogical University, ставителей семейства Hydrocharitaceae характерно отсутствие в их составе Surgut, Russia са по ни нов и сапогенинов. Однако, при исследовании компонентного со- 4 Institute of the problems of Northern става скрининг-тест на сапонины дал положительный результат. В связи с development SB RAS, Tyumen, Russia этим были выполнены исследования по определению содержания сапони- 5 нов (по глицирризиновой кислоте) в фитомассе некоторых видов растений Kazimierz Wielki University, Bydgoszcz, семейства (Egeria densa, Elodea canadensis, Hydrilla verticillata, Нydrocharis morsus- Poland ranae, H. dubia, Najas marina, Stratiotes aloides, Vallisneria americana), полученных из различных районов Евразии. Установлено, что наибольшее количество са- * corresponding author понинов содержится в фитомассе Нydrocharis dubia (5,1±0,3 %), H. morsus-ranae (3,6±0.5 %) и Stratiotes aloides (3.4±0.3 %), наименьшее − в Elodea canadensis (1,2± 0,2 %). Исследованные растения семейства Hydrocharitaceae по содержанию Manuscript received: 17.05.2018 са понинов (в пересчете на глицирризиновую кислоту) можно разделить на Review completed: 15.01.2019 Accepted for publication: 17.01.2019 две группы: с наибольшим (более 3 %) – интересные с точки зрения сырь- Published online: 21.01.2019 е вой базы, и наименьшим (менее 3 %). На модельных видах подтвержде- ны се зонные изменения содержания сапонинов, содержание статистически значимо отличается в 1,3 раза. Ключевые слова: Hydrocharitaceae, глицирризиновая кислота, тритерпеновые са- по нины, содержание, фитохимия Traditionally, high molecular glycosides of plant origin Saponins affect the permeability of plant cells, in small of steroid or triterpene nature are classified as sapo nins with concentrations accelerate the germination of seeds, the high surface activity (Kurkin 2004). Steroid sa po nins are growth and development of plants, and in large ones in- usually derived from spirostan or furostan and synthesized hi bit, performing the function of plant growth hormones from cholesterol (Challinor & De Voss 2013, Watson & (Mu ra viev et al. 2002). Plant saponins exert cardiotonic, Dallwitz 2008). Triterpene saponins are synthe sized from neu ro trophic, hypotensive, tonic, hypocholesterolemic and squalene and contain 30 carbon atoms (Mu ra viev et al. antisclerotic, diuretic, corticotropic, adaptogenic, sedative, 2002). A typical representative of triterpene sapo nins is ani t ulcer genic and mild laxative effects on human subjects glycyrrhizic acid (20β-carboxy-11-oxo-30-noro lean-12-ene- (Ho stettmann & Marston 1995). The most rich in saponins 3β-yl-2-O-β-D-glucopyranuronosyl-α-D-glu co py ra nos i du- plants are Beta vulgaris L. – 5.8 %, Glycyrrhiza glabra L. – 22.2– ronic acid) (Mahato et al. 1992, Minina & Kauhova 2004). 32.3 %, Polygala spp. – 8–10 %, Primula spp. – 5–10 %, Quil laja ©Botanical Garden-Institute FEB RAS. 2019 57 Kotelnaya et al. saponaria Molina – 9–10 %, Yucca schidigera Roezl ex Or tgies – The indi ca tion of the nature of saponins was carried out 10 %, etc. (Güçlü-Ustündağ & Mazza 2007, Mir et al. 2016). on the basis of the foamability reaction (Kurkin 2004). According to the published data, the species of the A sample for foa ma bility (Phontan-Kandel’s method) fa mi ly Hydrocharitaceae Juss. are characterized by the ab- was carried out in a measuring test tubes, which made it sence of saponins and sapogenins in the composition (An- possible to establish the height of a stable foam. The results gio sperm 2008, Cook 1992, 1998, Dahlgren et al 1985, Wat- are presented in Table 2. The obtained results indicate the son & Dallwitz 2008). It is known that there are diterpenes presence of the sa po nins of triterpene nature in the plants in Hydrilla verticillata (L. f.) Royle and steroids (sterols) of the family Hydro cha ritaceae; while the height of a stable in Val lisneria americana Michx. Elodea canadensis Planch. foam is 1.5–5.0 times lower in comparison with the control. and Val lisneria americana contain triterpenoids, mainly Gravimetric, titrimetric and photometric methods are derivatives of alisol as well (Budantsev 2014). In general, wi dely used in the specification of saponins in plant ma te- the representatives of the order Alismatatles Dumortier, to rials (Kovalev et al. 2003, Minina & Kauhova 2004). Most which the family of Hydrocharitaceae belong, contain no of ten, color-imetric and spectrophotometric methods of sa po nins, although there are species containing diterpenes ana lysis are used to quantify saponins (Kovalev et al. 2003). and some steroids (Budantsev 2014). Steroid saponins in Since saponins absorb light in the range of 260–280 nm, the Alismatatles are known only in the representatives of di rect spectrophotometric methods of quantitative analysis the family Tofieldiaceae Takhtajan (Angiosperm 2017) and are applicable to them (Minina & Kauhova 2004). The me- Alis ma ta ceae Vent. (Wiart 2012). thod itself is quite simple and highly accurate, the difficulty However, in the study of the composition of the some of specification saponins lies only in the laboriousness of spe cies of the family Hydrocharitaceae, the screening test ex trac ting substances from the phytomass. showed a positive result for the presence of saponins (Pal For the quantitative analysis at the stage of sample pro- & Nimse 2006, Prabha & Rajkumar 2015, Mary Kensa & ces sing, the plants were dried to an air-dry state, powdered Neelamegam 2015, Kotelnaya & Alekhina 2016). In this and riddled through a sieve with a hole size of 0.25 mm, regard, the purpose of our study was to specify the content after which a chemical analysis was carried out. The precise of saponins (in terms of glycyrrhizic acid) in the phytomass test portion of the raw material was extrac ted with a 3 % of plants of species belonging to Hydrocharitaceae. acetone solution of nitric acid and hot acetone , followed by Some representetives of the family are used in tra di tio- the precipitation of glycyrrhizic acid with a concentrated nal medicine in the countries of Southeast Asia, India and solution of ammonia. The resulting pre ci pi tation was China, for example Hydrocharis dubia (Blume) Ba cker, Ottelia quantitatively dissolved in distilled water (Avramenko alismoides (L.) Pers., Blyxa echinosperma (C.B.Clarke) Hook.f. et al. 2015). The quantitative analysis of the content of as digestive tonic (Sakong et al. 2011). Ottelia alismoides is saponins (in terms of glycyrrhizic acid) was carried out by also used to treat asthma, urinating difficulty, hydrops, skin spectrophotometric method using a spectrophotometer diseases and burns, and has an antituberculosis effect (Li et “SF-56” (Russia) according to the methodology described al. 1995, Chen et al. 2012). Hydrilla verticillata as a mean to in the state pharmacopeia of the Russian Federation (The im prove digestion and gastrointestinal function, circulation, state 2015). The optical density of the saponin solution was neurological health, to body resistance and increase en du- re cor ded at a wavelength of 258 nm in cuvettes with an op- rance (Pal & Nimse 2006). Stratiotes aloides L. is used for ti cal layer thickness