Przybył J.L., Węglarz Z., Geszprych A.

The accumulation of biomass and main biologically active compounds in the underground organs of roseroot plants grown in central Poland was investigated. The content of rosavin, rosarin, rosin, trans-cinnamic alcohol, salidroside and tyrosol in the raw material was determined by HPLC. Starting from the second year of vegetation, the plants formed three generations of shoots, which resulted in prolongation of the assimilation period from three months (in case of wild growing plants in Siberia) to seven months and consequently a fast increase in rhizome weight. The mean weight of air-dry rhizomes with roots increased to 120 g per plant in the fifth year of plant vegetation. The highest content of the most important biologically active compounds, salidroside and rosavin, was also the highest in the raw material obtained from five-year-old plants. Plants collected in the fourth and fifth year of vegetation were characterized by the highest percentage of rhizome weight in the total weight of underground part. The rhizomes were characterized by higher content of salidroside, rosavin, rosarin and trans-cinnamic alcohol in comparison with roots. In the sixth year of vegetation the symptoms of plant aging were noticed. The oldest, central parts of rhizomes decayed and the rhizomes divided into smaller, autonomic parts.

Key words: plant age, plant development, rhizomes, rosavin, roseroot, salidroside, trans-cinnamic alcohol derivatives