Poster: Evolution

Abs # 786: Distribution profiles of anthocyanins in petals of wild violas in Japan

Presenter:	Yoshitama, Kunijiro , tama@aster.sci.kumamoto-u.ac.jp
Authors	Yoshitama, Kunijiro  (A)   Ken, Iimura  (B)
Affiliations:	(A): Dept. of Biological Sci., Fac. of Sci., Kumamoto Univ. (B): Graduate School of Sci. and Technology, Kumamoto Univ.

Anthocyanins in the petals of 26 wild viola species and one variety (Violaceae) distributed in Japan were surveyed by HPLC. The distribution pattern was compared with the results published by Ootani et al. (1966) and Ootani (1973) for cultivated pansies belonging to the same genus (Viola L.). Twenty-one acylated and non-acylated glycosides of pelargonidin, cyanidin, peonidin, delphinidin, petunidin, and malvidin were found in the survey; all were glycosylated at the 3- and 5-positions and the acyl groups were identified as either acetic acid or p-coumaric acid. Violanin (delphinidin trans-3-p-coumarylrhamnosylglucoside-5-glucoside), which is the most common anthocyanin in cultivated pansies with red, purple, blue and black petals, was also widely distributed in Japanese wild violas with purple and blue petals. In addition to violanin, trans-3-p-coumarylrhamnosylglucoside-5-glucosides of cyanidin (cyananin) and the methylated anthocyanidins peonidin (peonanin), petunidin (petanin) and malvidin (ensatin) were also major constituents in Japanese wild violas. The presence of acetylglycosides and of pelanin, peonanin, petanin and ensatin is reported for the first time in members of the Violaceae. Much difference in the glycosidic type is observed between Japanese wild violas and cultivated pansies: keracyanin (cyanidin 3-rhamnosylglucoside), distributed widely in red pansies, and delphinidin 3,5-diglucoside and delphinidin 3,5-triglycoside, both present in purple and blue ones, were not found in Japanese wild violas.