Chemical diversity of silverweed (Potentilla anserinal L.) growing at the edges of arable fields

The medicinal usage of silverweed herb (Anserinae herba) is primarily related to the presence of phenolic compounds. Three populations of silverweed (Potentilla anserina L.) occurring at the edges of arable fields in Podlasie area (north-eastern Poland) were compared in respect of the content and composition of phenolics. Herb collected from the investigated populations differed in the content of determined compounds. The tannin content was very low (0.81-0.91%). The total flavonoid content ranged from 0.48 to 0.60%. Phenolic acid content was much higher (1.38-2.26%). Three flavan-3-ols: (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, and (-)-epigallocatechin, four flavonol glycosides: rutoside, quercetin-3-O-glucoside, isorhamnetin-3-O-glucoside, and kaempferol-3-O-glucoside, as well as one phenolic acid (ellagic acid) were identified as a result of HPLC analysis of methan-olic extracts from the investigated raw materials. The most considerable differences between populations concerned the content of (+)-catechin (87.0-199.3 mg x 100 g-1), (-)-epigallocatechin (141.9-290.6 mg x 100 g-1), and rutoside (192.3-386.0 mg x 100 g-4) in herb.