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. 2012 Jul 7;12:87. doi: 10.1186/1472-6882-12-87

Table 1.

Effect of long-term storage on the total iridoid, phenolic and flavonoid contents of 21 South African medicinal plants

Plant name Family Voucher number Plant part(s) Total iridoids (μg HE/g DW)
Total phenolics (mg GAE/g DW)
Total flavonoids (mg CE/g DW)
Stored Fresh Stored Fresh Stored Fresh
Acokanthera oppositifolia (Lam.) Coddδ
Apocynaceae
A. Aremu 1 NU
Roots
264.6 ± 4.82 **
134.5 ± 5.51
7.5 ± 0.37 *
9.3 ± 0.44
4.8 ± 0.12 *
5.4 ± 0.17
Artemisia afra Jacq. ex Willd#
Asteraceae
S. Amoo 15 NU
Aerial parts
356.9 ± 22.72 ns
341.7 ± 19.97
28.5 ± 1.15 ns
25.8 ± 0.03
18.3 ± 0.65 ns
16.7 ± 0.34
Artemisia afra Jacq. ex Willdδ
Asteraceae
S. Amoo 15 NU
Aerial parts
195.1 ± 63.35 ns
341.7 ± 19.97
34.7 ± 1.79 **
25.8 ± 0.03
19.7 ± 0.87 *
16.7 ± 0.34
Buddleja salviifolia (L.) Lam#
Buddlejaceae
S. Amoo 16 NU
Leaves
60.8 ± 15.84 **
409.9 ± 13.77
9.0 ± 0.36 ***
20.0 ± 0.81
6.6 ± 0.28 ***
14.6 ± 0.32
Buddleja salviifolia (L.) Lam#
Buddlejaceae
S. Amoo 16 NU
Twigs
111.1 ± 9.64 **
400.3 ± 27.54
8.3 ± 0.25 ***
11.1 ± 0.24
5.0 ± 0.25 *
5.9 ± 0.11
Clausena anisata (Willd.) Hook. F. ex Benth#
Rutaceae
S. Amoo 18 NU
Leaves & Twigs
3019.6 ± 63.35 ns
3264.7 ± 96.40
31.3 ± 0.05 *
28.1 ± 0.99
11.7 ± 0.17 ***
7.6 ± 0.20
Cussonia spicata Thunb. #
Araliaceae
S. Amoo 09 NU
Leaves
82.8 ± 39.25 ns
38.8 ± 11.71
11.4 ± 0.16 **
7.6 ± 0.69
9.1 ± 0.53 ***
3.4 ± 0.27
Dombeya rotundifolia Hochst. #
Malvaceae
S. Amoo 11 NU
Leaves
7076.6 ± 177.64 **
9499.6 ± 117.75
45.3 ± 0.89 ns
47.3 ± 1.94
29.7 ± 3.05 ns
35.4 ± 0.87
Ekebergia capensis Sparrmδ
Meliaceae
S. Amoo 23 NU
Leaves & Twigs
547.6 ± 22.03 ***
2221.5 ± 53.02
31.7 ± 1.29 ***
44.9 ± 0.78
22.8 ± 1.25 ns
26.0 ± 0.29
Leonotis intermedia Lindl.δ
Lamiaceae
S. Amoo 08 NU
Leaves
56.0 ± 1.38 *
72.5 ± 2.75
15.1 ± 0.57 **
11.6 ± 0.23
12.1 ± 0.38 ***
6.8 ± 0.10
Leonotis leonurus (L.) R.Br.δ
Lamiaceae
S. Amoo 12 NU
Leaves
51.8 ± 1.38 ns
171.0 ± 30.99
10.5 ± 0.22 ***
18.2 ± 0.76
6.6 ± 0.23 ***
10.3 ± 0.01
Merwilla plumbea (Lindl.) Septaδ
Hyacinthaceae
S. Amoo 21 NU
Bulbs
64.2 ± 8.26 ns
207.5 ± 75.74
7.8 ± 0.29 **
9.8 ± 0.25
1.4 ± 0.09 ns
1.7 ± 0.37
Ocotea bullata (Burch.) Baill.δ
Lauraceae
S. Amoo 13 NU
Bark
3060.9 ± 121.19 **
6112.6 ± 207.95
32.7 ± 0.82 **
46.4 ± 2.00
18.4 ± 0.62 ***
26.8 ± 0.50
Olea europaea L.#
Oleaceae
S. Amoo 14 NU
Leaves
0 ns
283.2 ± 79.87
17.2 ± 0.41 *
18.7 ± 0.06
13.1 ± 0.31 ***
9.7 ± 0.28
Pittosporum viridiflorum Sims#
Pittosporaceae
S. Amoo 24 NU
Leaves & Twigs
63.6 ± 8.95 ns
194.4 ± 65.41
10.6 ± 0.20 ***
26.0 ± 0.91
5.3 ± 0.12 ***
15.6 ± 0.22
Plumbago auriculata Lam.δ
Plumbaginaceae
S. Amoo 06 NU
Leaves
9.8 ± 7.57 **
521.4 ± 50.95
7.6 ± 0.66 ***
15.0 ± 0.46
1.3 ± 0.15 **
5.5 ± 0.64
Protorhus longifolia (Bernh.) Engl.δ
Anacardiaceae
S. Amoo 19 NU
Leaves
1034.4 ± 47.51 **
7787.2 ± 290.57
51.8 ± 1.27 ***
114.4 ± 7.83
10.1 ± 0.65 ***
18.3 ± 0.10
Solanum mauritianum Scop.δ
Solanaceae
S. Amoo 07 NU
Leaves
71.1 ± 6.89 *
14.0 ± 11.71
8.0 ± 0.11 ***
13.9 ± 0.24
2.0 ± 0.21 ns
1.5 ± 0.05
Spirostachys africana Sond.#
Euphorbiaceae
S. Amoo 26 NU
Leaves & Twigs
553.8 ± 3.44 ns
527.6 ± 11.71
86.2 ± 1.91 **
69.1 ± 2.13
8.5 ± 0.09 ***
26.7 ± 0.57
Synadenium copulare (Boiss.) L.C. Wheelerδ
Euphorbiaceae
S. Amoo 25 NU
Leaves
11.9 ± 11.02 ns
273.6 ± 71.61
8.5 ± 0.37 ***
15.2 ± 0.33
4.2 ± 0.15 ns
4.3 ± 0.15
Tetradenia riparia (Hochst.) Coddδ
Lamiaceae
S. Amoo 20 NU
Leaves
46.3 ± 9.64 *
0
6.1 ± 0.20 ns
7.2 ± 0.38
2.7 ± 0.08 ***
1.5 ± 0.02
Trichilia dregeana Sond.δ
Meliaceae
S. Amoo 22 NU
Leaves & Twigs
431.9 ± 16.53 ns
412.0 ± 50.27
34.4 ± 10.26 ns
32.6 ± 1.17
8.7 ± 0.61 ***
20.2 ± 0.19
Ziziphus mucronata Willd.#
Rhamnaceae
S. Amoo 17 NU
Leaves
314.2 ± 37.87 ns
412.7 ± 22.03
23.6 ± 1.61 **
33.4 ± 0.62
7.1 ± 0.10 ***
9.0 ± 0.09
Ziziphus mucronata Willd.δ Rhamnaceae S. Amoo 17 NU Leaves 90.4 ± 1.38 ** 412.7 ± 22.03 19.7 ± 0.42 *** 33.4 ± 0.62 6.9 ± 0.34 ** 9.0 ± 0.09

ns = not significant; P = 0.05 (*); P = 0.01 (**); P = 0.001 (***).

HE = harpagoside equivalents; GAE = gallic acid equivalents; CE = catechin equivalents.

δ = Voucher number of plant material stored for 16 years was as described by Jäger et al. (1996); # = Voucher number of plant material stored for 12 years was as described by McGaw et al. (2000).

Merwilla plumbea (Lindl.) Speta was formerly known as Scilla natalensis Planch.