Quantitive Variation of Flavonoids in Houttuynia cordata from Different Geographic Origins in China

AimTo reveal the content variation of flavonoids in Houttuynia cordata from main producing areas in China, and to lay a foundation for the breeding of quality of Houttuynia cordata.MethodsSeveral flavonoids including hyperin, quercitrin, and quercetin in H. cordata from 22 different provenances or geographic origins in China were purified and measured by using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The relationship between the content of flavonoids in H. cordata and their biological characteristics such as morphological and growth traits or a geographic origin were analyzed.Results and ConclusionThe levels of three major flavonoids: hyperin, quercitrin, and quercetin, varied remarkably in the plants of H. cordata from different provenances, and variation in quercitrin was significantly correlated to the biological characteristics of the plant but not correlated to the geographic region where the plant grows. Our data thus provides an important means for the selection or evaluation of candidate cultivars of H. cordata from a pharmacological perspective.