Summary:
C. brevifolia is an important narrow endemic tree of Cyprus flora and it is
well-differentiated from other species of the genus based on morphological and
eco-physiological traits, such as short needles and slow growth, resistance to
aphids, and the highest tolerance to drought in all cedar species. Theophrastus
(371 - 287 BC) was the first to mention the existence of cedar in Cyprus. The
plant material was collected from Cedar valley near Paphos. C. brevifolia
needles have been extracted successively with dichloromethane, methanol and
methanol:water 5:1,. The methanol extract has been subjected to further
analyses by RP18-MPLC, CC, RP18-HPLC and preparative TLC. The extract contained
the following natural products: taxifolin, astragalin, isorhamnetin
3-O-glucoside, (-)-catechin, 3,4-dimethoxyphenyl--D-glucoside,
4-hydroxybenzoic acid 4-O-glucoside, benzoate glucoside, benzyl--D-glucoside,
benzyl--D-rutinoside, p-coumaric acid and its glucoside, p-anisic acid, 1-β-
D-glucopyranosyl-2-(4'-hydroxyphenyl) (E)-ethene (trans-vaginoside), 4'-O--
D-glucopyranoside of 4-(4'-hydroxyphenyl)butan-2-one (raspberry ketone) and
abscisic alcohol glucoside. This is the first report on the chemical profile of
C. brevifolia needles. Catechin was the main compound derived from the extract.
Taxifolin and astragalin have been previously isolated from the needles of C.
deodara and the stem bark of C. atlantica, isorhamnetin 3-O-glucoside from the
needles of C. atlantica and p-coumaroyl-glucoside from the needles of C.
deodara. In addition, taxifolin, catechin and epi-catechin have been recently
detected in the hydromethanol extract of C. brevifolia bark.
Keywords:
C. brevifolia, Catechin, Dihydroflavonoids, Simple phenols, Apocarotenoids
