Quantitative HPLC estimation of flavonoids in showy tick trefoil herbs

Quantitative and qualitative analysis of flavonoids in showy tick trefoil [Desmodium canadense (L.) DC., Fabaceae] herbs collected in various vegetative phases at the Department of Medicinal Herbs of the Kaunas Botanical Garden (Vytautas Magnus University) was performed using HPLC techniques. A total of 15 flavonoids were identified as aglycons and glycosides including apigenin, apigenin-7-O-glycoside, luteolin, rutin, vicenin-2, vitexin, isovitexin, vitexin rhamnoside, orientin, homoorientin, quercitrin, quercetin, hyperoside, astragalin, and kaempferol. The maximum amount of identified flavonoids (13573.83 μg/g) was observed at the budding stage. Among these flavonoids, orientin and homoorientin (6236.24 μg/g), vicenin-2 (2040.25 μg/g), vitexin (1717.12 μg/g), isovitexin (1767.82 μg/g), and rutin (925.72 μg/g) predominated.