Determination of sugars and cyclitols isolated from various morphological parts of Medicago sativa L

Abstract

Plant research interest has increased all over the world, and a large body of evidence has been collected to show the huge potential of medicinal plants in various disease treatments. Medicago sativa L., known as alfalfa, is a rich source of biologically active components and secondary metabolites and was frequently used from the ancient times both as fodder crop and as a traditional medicine in the treatment of various diseases. Cyclitols, naturally occurring in this plant, have a particular interest for us due to their significant anti-diabetic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties. In the present study we revealed the isolation, the identification, and the quantification of some cyclitols and sugars extracted from different morphological parts of alfalfa plant. Soxhlet extraction and solid phase extraction were used as extraction and purification methods, while for the analyses derivatization followed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry was involved. The obtained results showed significant differences in the quantities of cyclitols and sugars found in the investigated morphological parts, ranging between 0.02 and 13.86 mg/g of plant in case of cyclitols, and in the range of 0.09 and 40.09 mg/g of plant for sugars. However, roots have the richest part of cyclitols and sugars in contrast to the leaves.

Keywords: alfalfa; cyclitols; gas chromatography with mass spectrometry; solid-phase extraction; sugars.