Capecka E., Geszprych A., Przybył J. L., Kunicki E., Binder A., Bączek K., Węglarz Z.

Herb and underground organs of dropwort have been used as medicinal raw materials. Decrease of natural resources of this species results in the necessity to introduce it into cultivation. In this study accumulation of biomass and phenolic compounds in underground organs of cultivated dropwort during two years of plant vegetation was evaluated. Underground organs were harvested at the end of the first year of plant vegetation and in the second year: at the beginning of vegetation, at the stage of blooming, and at the end of vegetation. Phenolics were determined by HPLC. At the end of the second year the weight of air-dry rhizomes with tuberous roots reached 188.3 g per plant and it was almost five times higher than in the first year. Underground organs of dropwort appeared to be a rich source of flavan-3-ols and gallic acid. There was no clear relation between the stage of plant development and accumulation of phenolics in these organs.

Key words: plant development, term of harvest, biologically active compounds, flavan-3-ols, phenolic acids, flavonol glycosides