Population-Related Variability in Qualitative and Quantitative Secondary Metabolite Profile of Gentianella austriaca (A. & J. Kern.) Holub.

Phytochemical profiling of six natural populations of Gentianella austriaca was performed by HPLC identification and quantification of a number of secondary metabolites, and evaluation of time series of peak areas by chemometric analysis. Phytochemical analysis of G. austriaca revealed the presence of iridoids, flavone- C -glucosides and xanthones. Twelve secondary metabolites were identified in the aerial parts, roots and seeds, including swertiamarin (SWM), gentiopicrin (GP), sweroside (SWZ), isoorientin (ISOOR), swertisin (SWE), demethylbellidifolin-8- O -glucoside (DMB-8- O -glc), bellidifolin-8- O -glucoside (BDF-8- O -glc), mangiferin (MGF), corymbiferin (CBF), corymbiferin-1- O -glucoside (CBF-1- O -glc), bellidifolin (BDF) and campestroside. Multivariate statistical analyses showed relatively low variability among populations according to secondary metabolite content. However, some pharmacologically important compounds were found in higher amounts in a few populations, which could be useful for conservation and future biotechnological procedures.