High Pressure Liquid Chromatographic Analysis of Flavonoids in Geranium Florets as an Adjunct for Cultivar Identification

Abstract

Abstract High pressure liquid chromatographic (HPLC) procedures were developed for the resolution and quantitation of naturally occurring flavonoids in florets of geranium (Pelargonium X hortorum Bailey). Anthocyanins identified were the 3,5-diglucosides of cyanidin, pelargonidin, peonidin, malvidin, delphinidin, and petunidin. Related flavonoid copigments were: the 3-glucoside, 3-galactoside, 3-xyloside, 3-arabinopyranoside, 3-arabinofuranoside, 3-rutinoside, 3-rhamnosylgalactoside, and 7-glucoside of kaempferol and the 3-glucoside, 3-galactoside, 3-rhamnoside, 3-rutinoside, and 3-rhamnosylgalactoside of quercetin. Significant qualitative and quantitative differences between the 20 flavonoid chemical markers distinguished all but 2 of the 20 cultivars examined. It is believed that the 2 indistinguishable cultivars arose as sports from the same cultivar and are genetically identical for floral pigmentation.