Polyphenols in representative Teucrium species in the flora of R. Macedonia: LC/DAD/ESI-MS(n) profile and content.

In the present work, the polyphenolic profile and content of four Teucrium species (T. chamaedrys L., T. montanum L., T. polium L., T. scordium L.) from the Macedonian flora were examined. A LC/DAD/ESI-MS(n) chromatographic method was optimized and 31 phenolic compounds were identified, quantified and classified into four groups: hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives (2), phenylethanoid glycosides (12), flavonoid glycosides (11) and flavonoid aglycones (6). The total phenolic content (mg/g dry herb) ranged from 28.2 (T. montanum), 30.9 (T. scordium), 35.1 (T. polium) to 52.1 (T. chamaedrys). Phenylethanoid glycosides were the predominant group ofpolyphenols in the studied samples contributing 60% of the total phenolic content for T. polium and T. scordium and around 90% for T. montanum and T. chamaedrys. The systematic analysis for identification and quantification of all present phenolic compounds contributes to the chemotaxonomy of the investigated Teucrium species and to the valorization based on their phenolic profiles and content.