ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) Apigenin Glycosides
and Their Effect on the Pea Aphid
(Acyrthosiphon pisum)
Sylwia Goławska1, Iwona Łukasik1, Artur Goławski2,
Ireneusz Kapusta3, Bogdan Janda3
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1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Podlasie, Prusa 12, 08-110 Siedlce, Poland
2Department of Zoology, University of Podlasie, Prusa 12, 08-110 Siedlce, Poland
3Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation,
Czartoryskich 8, 24-100 Puławy, Poland
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2010;19(5):913-919
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Flavonoids are a group of secondary metabolites found in most families. They are known to have important
physiological functions in plants by protecting them against biotic stresses. Liquid chromatography
(HPLC) was used to determine the flavonoid profiles, especially apigenin glycosides, their total concentration,
as well as changes in the amount of six flavones found in the aerial parts of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)
(Fabaceae) Radius cv. for three vegetative stages, uninfested and infested by the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon
pisum Harris) (Homoptera: Aphididae). It has been shown that both control and infested green aerial parts of
alfalfa plants had similar flavonoid profiles. The dominant flavonoid of alfalfa was compound 7-O-[2-O-feruloyl-
β-D-glucuronopyranosyl(1→2)-O-β-D-glucuronopyranosyl]-4’-O-β-D-glucuronopyranosideapigenin.
Compound 4’-O-β-D-glucuronopyranosideapigenin was present in the smallest amounts. The total concentration
of flavones was rather high and ranged from 10.32 to 12.28 mg/g d.m., but there were no significant differences
between uninfested and infested alfalfa plants. There was a negative correlation between the concentration
of total apigenin glycosides in the alfalfa plants and pea aphid abundance and phloem sap ingestion.
This finding may indicate the importance of apigenin glycoside forms as nutritional compounds.