Phytochemical Variation in Fritillaria cirrhosa D. Don (Chuan Bei Mu) in Relation to Plant Reproductive Stage and Timing of Harvest

Abstract

Economic development in southwest China and the increasing use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) worldwide have led to intensified collection of native medicinal plants. Fritillaria cirrhosa D. Don (Chuan Bei Mu), commonly used for the treatment of cough in TCM, is endemic to the Hengduan Mountain region of southwest China and is under increasing pressure from over-collection and decreasing suitable alpine habitat. The bioactive compounds in F. cirrhosa bulbs, isosteroidal alkaloids, are greatly influenced by environmental conditions and fluctuate in content and concentration with plant age and reproductive stage. Aiming at obtaining useful information for the sustainable management of wild F. cirrhosa populations, we evaluated how the phytochemical composition of F. cirrhosa bulbs varies at various stages of plant reproductive development. Using chemical methods and high-performance liquid chromatography, we extracted and analyzed two major bioactive alkaloids from F. cirrhosa bulb samples collected throughout the Hengduan Mountain region. Plant reproductive stage was found to affect the concentration of bioactive alkaloids in F. cirrhosa bulbs. Bulb alkaloid concentration was highest during the early stages of fruit development and decreased significantly with fruit maturation. These results lend biochemical support to the practice of harvesting F. cirrhosa during the early stages of plant senescence (i. e., early fruit development). © 2011 The New York Botanical Garden.