Leontopodium species, plants adapted to harsh alpine environments, have secondary metabolites that are highly diversified. Five phenylpropanoids (chlorogenic acid, isochlorogenic acid A, isochlorogenic acid C, leontopodic acid A, and leontopodic acid B) and one flavonol, quercetin 3-O-glucoside, were isolated from the leaves of five alpine Leontopodium species in Japan. On the other hand, four flavone glycosides (6-hydroxyluteolin 7-O-glucoside, luteolin 7-O-glucoside, luteolin 3′-O-glucoside, and luteolin 4′-O-glucoside) and two flavone aglycones (pedalitin and luteolin) were isolated from flowers of the same Leontopodium species. Thus, the composition of phenolic compounds in the leaves and flowers differed greatly, but each composition was quite similar between European edelweiss and several Japanese alpine species (chemical fingerprinting of this group). In this study, phenolic compounds (anti-stress compounds in plants) from the Japanese Leontopodium species were reported for the first time, elucidating the striking similarities in chemical composition between plants from two geographically distinct regions: Europe and Japan. Insights into the functions of these compounds are also discussed.
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