Polyphenols and triterpenes in leaves and extracts from three Nicotiana species

ABSTRACT

Genus Nicotiana (Solanaceae) includes 76 species, among which only Nicotiana tabacum L. (common tobacco) isrecognized as economically important. Nicotiana species synthesize various secondary metabolites with biological orecological activities, but many of them still have not been sufficiently studied. The objective of current study was todetermine the content of selected groups of metabolites (e.g., phenolic acids, flavonoids, and triterpenes) in the leavesand extracts of three Nicotiana species (Nicotiana alata Link and Otto, Nicotiana rustica L., and N. tabacum L.),grown side by side. The results from the high-performance liquid chromatography identification of polyphenols andtriterpenes in leaves and extracts showed considerable variations between the species. All of them, however, werecharacterized as plant materials containing various specialized and bioactive metabolites, which substantiate theirconsideration as a valuable source for obtaining different phytoproducts. In terms of the studied groups of bioactivemetabolites, the results from the study suggest that 50% and 70% ethanol are the most suitable solvent concentrationsfor the extraction of N. alata, N. rustica, and N. tabacum leaves. The high content of polyphenols and triterpenesin the extracts provides grounds for their use in various cosmetic and pharmaceutical products, which could be thesubject of future research.