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Changes in bioactive components related to the harvest time from the spicas of Prunella vulgaris

Context: Prunella vulgaris L. (Labiatae) is a perennial plant common in China and Europe and is rich in rosmarinic acid (RA), ursolic acid (UA), and oleanolic acid (OA). The dried spica of P. vulgaris has been used as traditional medicine in China for over a hundred years. To our best knowledge, no study has been conducted to determine the influence of harvesting time on concentrations of bioactive compounds of P. vulgaris. Objective: In the current study, changes in the bioactive compounds present in spicas were investigated at five harvest times over 2 months. Materials and methods: Plant material were collected at five fixed dates: 5th May, 20th May, 7th June, 15th June, and 25th June and assayed for chemical contents by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results: Among the different harvest times, the highest levels of RA (56.81 mg·g−1), UA (2.77 mg·g−1), and OA (0.91 mg·g−1) were found on 5th May, whereas the lowest levels of RA (1.66 mg·g−1), UA (2.27 mg·g−1), and OA (0.43 mg·g−1) were observed on 25th June. Discussion and conclusion: As each medicinal product has its own content requirement for different bioactive components, the optimum harvest time might be determined according to the accumulation dynamics of target compound in dried spicas of P. vulgaris. These results may be useful for determining the optimal harvest time when bioactive components are at the maximum level, which is in early May.