Analysis of highly secondary-metabolite producing roots and flowers of two Echinacea angustifolia DC. var. angustifolia accessions

Echinacea angustifolia var. angustifolia (Asteraceae) is widely used in the nutraceutical, cosmetic and pharmaceutical markets. Echinacoside, a phenol glycoside, is actually considered the marker compound and it is used for the assessment of quality of the roots. The plant material containing at least 1% of echinacoside is required by the market for the production of standardized extracts. The selection of highproducing secondary metabolites plants is necessary for an advantageous cultivation of this medicinal plant. Two Canadian accessions of E. angustifolia were cultivated and analyzed for their content in secondary metabolites showing high content of echinacoside (1.29% and 1.65%, respectively) resulting as interesting candidates for a profitable cultivation and a further selection work.