Chemical composition and antifungal activity of Hypericum perforatum subsp angustifolium roots from wild plants and plants grown under controlled conditions

The medicinal properties of the aerial parts of Hypericum perforatum subsp. angustifolium have been extensively investigated, yet little is known about the chemical composition or potential uses of the root extracts. In this study, xanthone production in wild plants and plants grown under controlled conditions was investigated. Chemical analyses carried out on wild plants revealed that xanthones were mainly accumulated in the roots. We mainly detected 1,7-dihydroxyxanthone, paxanthone, 5-O-methyl-2-deprenylrheediaxanthone B, kielcorin. The roots of wild plants showed low xanthone accumulation. In the roots of plants grown under controlled conditions, xanthone accumulation was 27 times greater than that in the roots of wild-grown plants. Kielcorin was not detected in the roots of plants grown under controlled conditions. As xanthones are known for their antifungal activity, the extracts from both samples were tested against the human fungal pathogens Candida albicans, non-albicans Candida species, Cryptococcus neoformans, and dermatophytes. The root extracts from plants grown under controlled conditions showed greater antifungal activity, probably correlated with higher xanthone accumulation.