Variations in lipophilic and polar flavonoids in the genus Tanacetum

Seven species of Tanacetum of different geographical origins were analysed in leaf and flower for their lipophilic and polar flavonoids and the result s were compared with the patterns previously recorded in T. parthenium and T. vulgare. The lipophilic constituents are based generally on 6-hydroxykae mpferol 3,6,4'-trimethyl ether and quercetagetin 3,6,3'-trimethyl ether, bu t up to 11 other surface flavonoids are present. Methyl ethers of scutellar ein and 6-hydroxyluteolin are present in species with corymbose capitula. A rare carbomethoxyflavone reported earlier in T. microphyllum could not be detected. The dominant pattern of vacuolar flavonoids is based on apigenin and luteolin 7-glucuronides. 6-Hydroxyluteolin 7-glucoside, present in T. v ulgare, also occurs in ir, pseudoachillea. Chrysoeriol 7-glucuronide is pre sent in T. parthenium, T. macrophyllum and T. corymbosum. By contrast, quer cetin 7-glucuronide characterises T. parthenium, T. corymbosum and T. ciner ariifolium. On the basis of combined data of lipophilic and polar constitue nts, it is clear that several structures are useful chemotaxonomic characte rs at the species level in a taxonomically complex genus. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.