New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science
abstracts
Factors influencing silymarin content and composition in variegated thistle
(Silybum
marianum)
R. J. Martin1
D. R. Lauren2
W. A. Smith2
D. J. Jensen2
B. Deo1
J. A. Douglas3
1 New Zealand Institute for Crop & Food
Research Limited
Private Bag 4704
Christchurch, New Zealand
email: martind@crop.cri.nz
2 The Horticulture & Food Research
Institute of New Zealand Ltd
Private Bag 3123
Hamilton, New Zealand
3 New Zealand Institute for Crop & Food
Research Limited
Private Bag 3123
Hamilton, New Zealand
Abstract Variegated or milk thistle
(Silybum
marianum) was grown in various field trials in New Zealand, and the
seed analysed for silymarin content and composition. The trials were a time
of sowing trial with a New Zealand line and a German cultivar, an analysis
of plant parts of the German cultivar, a time of seed harvest trial with
the German and a Polish cultivar, and a comparison of seed of 25 ecotypes
of the New Zealand line from a range of sites, either as collected, or after
growing together on one site. Sowing date had a small effect on silymarin
concentration, but not on silymarin composition. There were large differences
between cultivars in seed silymarin content and composition. The New Zealand
line had 18 g/kg of silymarin, whereas the German cultivar had 6 g/kg. The
New Zealand line had a significantly higher percentage of silychristin A,
and silybins A and B than the German cultivar, but lower isosilybins and
no silydianin. Silymarin content and composition between parts of the plant
ranged from none in the stems and leaves up to 14.7 k/kg in the seeds. Silymarin
in the roots and flowers was made up of only silychristin B and silybin B,
whereas in the green seed head and seeds, silydianin made up over 30% of
the silymarin. Seed silymarin content increased as the seed matured, but
at a decreasing rate. In the German line, the percentage of silychristin
A and both silybins increased significantly as the seed matured, while silydianin
decreased significantly, whereas in the Polish line, the converse was true.
The range in silymarin content of the 25 ecotypes decreased from 10 to 43
g/kg as collected in the wild to 22–38 g/kg when grown together, with very little
change in silymarin composition.
Keywords silybin; isosilybin; silychristin;
silydianin; cultivar; plant components
New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science, 2006, Vol. 34:
239–245
0014–0671/06/3403–0239 © The Royal
Society of New Zealand 2006
H06018; Online publication date 31 July 2006. Received 3 March 2006;
accepted 2 June 2006
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