Phytochemical analysis of Cicerbita pancicii (Vis.) Beauverd­the Balkan’s endemic plant

Abstract

The Balkan Peninsula is characterized by the great biodiversity, and it is native to extensive number of plant families and species. Moreover, some plants are endemic to certain region such as Cicerbita pancicii (Vis.) Beauverd (syn. Lactuca pancicii) from the Asteraceae family. This perennial plant can be found in mountainous areas, growing among tall-herb vegetation, as it prefers humid mild limestone slopes along streams [1]. During spring months, C. pancicii develops upright steam with lyrate leaves which are composed of broad terminal lobe and several smaller lateral ones. Pollination is occurring as insect are attracted to the decorative lilac-purple flowers, arranged in capitula. The aim of this study was to perform phytochemical analysis of three distinct plant parts of this endemic species: stem, leaf and inflorescence. For this purpose, plants are collected from Rudinice village, nearby Komarnica canyon in the Montenegro. Furthermore, extraction of plant material was performed in 80% acetone as solvent and content of chlorophyll a and b, as well as total carotenoid (TCC), total phenolic (TPC) and total flavonoid (TFC) content were determined using spectrophotometric methods. The leaves possessed the highest amount of both chlorophylls a (611.52 μg/g d.w.) and b (993.38 μg/g d.w.), whereas the lowest values were registered in steam (113.27 μg/g i.e. 45.92 μg/g d.w.). Moreover, TCC was the most abundant in inflorescence (65.71 μg/g d.w.), while in leaves carotenoids were not detected. Analysis of TPC and TFC exhibited the highest distribution of phenolic and flavonoid compounds in leaves of C. pancicii (12.51 mg/g GAE and 18.19 mg/g CE d.w.), followed by content in inflorescence (8.23 mg/g GAE and 10.42 mg/g CE d.w.). As the result of this study, the dispersal of mentioned bioactive compounds within plant organs has been recognized and determined.