Phytochemical Analysis of Isoflavons from some Fabaceae Species Extracts

Abstract

Phytoestrogens are natural compounds synthesized almost exclusively by plants of the Fabaceae family. To find new sources of phytoestrogens, we analyzed the isoflavons from different extracts obtained from plants of the Romanian spontaneous flora belonging to the Fabaceae family: Genistella sagittalis, Genista tinctoria, Cytisus albus, Coronilla varia, Lotus cornyculatus and Dorycnium herbaceum. The qualitative and quantitative analysis were performed by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The hydroalcoholic extracts were obtained by sonication in 10 minutes at 60°C. They were analyzed before and after hydrolysis. Some of the studied extracts presented a decreased level of isoflavons: Cytisus albus, Coronilla varia, Lotus cornyculatus and Dorycnium herbaceum. Other extracts were found rich in isoflavons. The high quantities from heterosides (daidzin, genistin, ononin) and aglycons (daidzein, genistein and formononetin) were found in Genistella sagittalis and Genista tinctoria. The results obtained for hydrolyzed extracts are inconclusive.