2018 Volume 87 Issue 3 Pages 382-388
In Japan, several plant species have high commercial value because of their functional properties. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of soil type (red, dark-red, and gray soil) and growth stage (vegetative and reproductive) on the growth and polyphenol production (chlorogenic acid, rutin, hesperidin, and diosmin) of P. japonicum. Plants grown in gray soil had the heaviest dry weight, followed by those grown in dark-red soil. Flowering plants grown in gray soil had a polyphenol concentration lower than those grown in the other two soil types. However, differences in the concentration of polyphenols were even larger between the growth stages. During the flowering period, the concentration of polyphenols sharply increased in the stems. Additionally, the flowers contained relatively similar amounts of polyphenols to stems and leaves, accounting for approximately 1/4–1/2 of the net amount in the plant.
