Geranium Robertianum L. introduction, biologically active compounds in overground part during plant vegetation

Abstract

The aim of these chemical analyses is to determinate total content of phenolic compounds, total content of flavonoid compounds and antioxidant activity of Geranium robertianum L. methanolic extracts in the different vegetation periods: intense growth, flower buds, start blossoming, massive blossoming, end of blossoming. The object of these analyses is G. robertianum L. It is a annual, sometimes biennial herbaceous plant of Geraniaceae family can be found widely in Europe, with the exception of the far north, in temperate parts of Asia, North Africa, Atlantic area of North America, and temperate parts of South America (Allen & Hatfield, 2004; Gruenwald et al., 2000). In Lithuania grows in humid deciduous or mixed forests, bushes, ash, roadsides. The extracts studied come from Sector of Medicinal Plants, Kaunas Botanical Garden of Vytautas Magnus University were harvested during the year 2016. According to the literature, G. robertianum L. has been used for a long time in the folk medicine of several countries in different preparations, for a multitude of therapeutic purposes. Its anti-inflammatory, haemostatic, antidiabetic, antibacterial, antidiarrhoeic, antiallergic, anti-cancer, antihepatotoxic, diuretic and tonic properties, as well as its suitability for the treatment of digestive system ailments has made this species very appreciated in herbal medicine (Harborne &Williams, 2002). In this study, the amount of non-volatiles compounds was performed using spectrophotometry methods. The amount of phenolic compounds was evaluated using Folin–Ciocalteu reagent spectrophotometry method. Colorimetric aluminium chloride method was carried out to determinate the total content of flavonoid compounds. Lastly, the antioxidant activity was estimated by DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl).