FLAVONOIDS QUANTITATIVE DETERMINATION IN THE INFLORESCENCES OF TAGETES ERECTA AND TAGETES PATULA

INTRODUCTION The Genus marigold (Tagetes) belongs to the family Asteraceae. The native land of this genus is the Central America. The genus marigold contains about 56 species and more than 600 forms and cultivars that are widely distributed around the world. The most distributed species are T. erecta L. and T. patula L. The chemical constituents of marigolds and their biological activity are intensively studied now. These plants contain more than 100 secondary metabolites, e.g. flavonoids, carotenoids, steroids, alkaloids, phenol derivate and others. The biological active carotenoids, flavonoids, essential oil, vitamins that contained in the inflorescences and herbs of Tagetes L. has anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and other activity. Tagetes L. genus plants widely used in traditional medicine as wound healing, hepatoprotective, choleretic, and adaptogenic medicines. The essential oil of marigolds has insecticidal properties and used in national economics. Also this plants are used in ophthalmology. The main biological active compounds of Tagetes L. are flavonoids. Composition of the most perspective carotenoid-contain species and cultivars of Tagetes L., such as T. patula nana L. (Gold Kopfen, Orangeflamme) and T. erecta L. remains poorly understood. They need to be studied as perspective source of the biological active flavonoids. OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to determine flavonoids contain in the inflorescences of Tagetes erecta L. cultivars “Equinox” and “Hawaii” and Tagetes patula L. cultivars “Gold Kopfen” and “Orangeflamme”. To determine the most perspective cultivars for obtaining the medicines. MATERIALS AND METHODS Tagetes patula L. and Tagetes erecta L. was selected in the present study. Plant material (inflorescences) was collected from different regions of Ukraine. About 0.1 of crushed inflorescences was extracted by ethanol about 30 minutes twice, filtered and cooled. Appropriate quantities of ethanol were added to solution to get 100 ml. 15 ml of this solution was transferred into a volumetric flask 50 ml and appropriate quantities of ethanol were added to solution to get 50 ml and determined the absorbance of this solution by spectrophotometry analysis using a Specord-200 Analytic Jena UV-vis with wave-length 256 nm. Flavonoid contain was calculated based on patuletin. RESULTS It was determined, that the most contents of biological active flavonoids exist in the inflorescences of the cultivar of the genus Tagetes L, such as T. patula nana L “Orangeflamme” (5,92±0,26%). The cultivars of T. erecta L. “Hawaii” and “Equinox” contain somewhat less flavonoids (5,62±0,29% and 5,50±0,25% respectively). The least contain of flavonoids exist in the inflorescences of the cultivar of Tagetes patula nana L. “Gold Kopfen” (4,85±0,17%). CONCLUSION That was determined, that the most contents of biological active flavonoids exist in the inflorescences of the cultivar of the genus Tagetes L, such as T. patula nana L “Orangeflamme” (5,92±0,26%) and T. erecta L. “Hawaii” (5,62±0,29%). They are perspective source of the biological active flavonoids and medicines, based on them