Chemical composition and anatomical study of Spanish cockle (Vaccaria hispanica)

Introduction. Spanish cockle (Vaccaria hispanica (Miller.) Rauschert.) is a widespread, annual, monotypic species. It is found in all regions of Central Russia as a weed, in crops, and is also often grown as an ornamental plant. It is used in folk medicine in Central Asia and China. The plant contains triterpene saponins, flavonoids, and phenol carboxylic acids in its different parts. Presumably, the plant may contain ecdysons. Objective: to investigate the anatomical structure of Spanish cockle leaves and flower and to analyze the biologically active compounds of the plant, by using the current techniques (HPLC). Material and methods. The Spanish cockle herb collected near the settlement of Golenchino, Ryazan Region, served as an investigation object. The test compounds were analyzed by HPLC on a Gilson 305 chromatograph with a UV detector (France). Results. HPLC proved that ecdysteroids (ecdysterone, polypodin B) and polyphenolic compounds (vicenin, caffeic, gallic, chicory, ferulic acids, epicatechin, epigallacatechingallate) were present in the aboveground part of the plant. Conclusion. Spanish cockle herb contains biologically active and highly effective chemical compounds that are of great importance for chemotaxonomy. The object deserves more research for the possible production of drugs; therefore it is necessary to develop methods for cultivating the species in order to obtain medicinal raw materials of the examined plant.

Vaccaria hispanica (Miller.) Rauschert, Spanish cockle (Vaccaria hispanica (Miller.) Rauschert.), anatomical and morphological study, HPLC, ecdysteroids, polyphenols