Flower colors and anthocyanins in the cultivars of Campanula medium L. (Campanulaceae)

Flower colors and anthocyanin composition of five cultivars of the Campanula medium May series were sur-veyed to determine the relationship between their corolla colors and anthocyanins. Eleven anthocyanins and chlorogenic acid were isolated from the flowers of these cultivars, and their structures were identified using chemical and spectroscopic methods. Among them, two novel anthocyanins, cyanidin 3-O-[6-O-(alpha-rhamnosyl)- beta-glucoside]-7-O-[6-O-(4-O-(6-O-(4-O-(beta-glucosyl)-p-hydroxybenzoyl)-beta-glucosyl)-p-hydroxybenzoyl)-beta-glu-coisde] and pelargonidin 3-O-[6-O-(alpha-rhamnosyl)-beta-glucoside]-7-O-[6-O-(4-O-(beta-glucosyl)-p-hydroxybenzoyl)-beta-glucoside] were discovered in the corollas in cultivars of 'May Purple Marden' and 'May Pink'. Moreover, cyanidin 3-O-[6-O-(rhmnosyl)-glucoide]-7-O-glucoside, pelargonidin 3-O-[6-O-(rhmnosyl)-glucoide]-7-O-gluco-side, and delphinidin 3-O-[6-O-(rhamnosyl)-glucoside]-O-[6-O-(4-O-(6-O-(4-O-(glucosyl)-p-hydroxybenzoyl)-glucosyl)-p-hydroxybenzoyl)-glucoside] were also discovered in these cultivars for the first time in C. medium flowers. The anthocyanin structures, conditions, and concentration and their intramolecular co-pigmentation effect might be involved in flower color variation in C. medium cultivars.

Automated summary

The relationship between corolla colors and anthocyanins in five cultivars of Campanula medium May series was studied by surveying their flower colors and anthocyanin composition. A total of eleven anthocyanins and chlorogenic acid were isolated and identified from the flowers using chemical and spectroscopic methods. Two novel anthocyanins were discovered in the corollas of 'May Purple Marden' and 'May Pink' cultivars. Additionally, three anthocyanins were found for the first time in C. medium flowers. The structures, conditions, concentration, and intramolecular co-pigmentation effect of the anthocyanins may contribute to the variation in flower color in C. medium cultivars.