Abstract:

The chemical composition and volatile compound content of Houttuynia cordata in Guizhou province, China, were investigated at different altitudes. Altitudes were characterized by the evolution of chlorogenic acid, rutin, quercetin, quercitrin, hyperoside, kaempferol, isorhamnetin and quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucoside as well as volatile components. Chlorogenic acid and all flavonoids were analyzed by HPLC. The volatile extracts obtained by steam distillation were analyzed using HS-SPME-GC/MS. The chlorogenic acid and flavonoid content of H. cordata remained high at 1400－1500 m and 500－600 m, respectively. The essential oil content remained high at 600 － 700 m. Pharmacological 2-undecanone varied with increasing altitude, and remained high at 700－800 m. The contents of monoterpene (pinene), sesquiterpene (caryophyllene-(Ⅱ)), fatty ketone (2-undecanone), fatty acid (caprinic acid) and fatty acid ester (pentadecanoic acid,2,6,10,14-tetramethyl-,methyl ester) changed significantly at different altitudes.

Key words: gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), Houttuynia cordata Thunb., metabolites, property, altitudes