Evaluation of phytochemical traits in different ecotypes of marshmallow (Althaea spp.)

Marshmallow (Althaea spp.) is a plant belonging to the Malvaceae family and is native to Asia, South Africa, and America. It is found in Iranian natural pastures throughout the country. The purpose of this research is to identify the best ecotypes of Golkhtami in terms of phytochemical traits studied in this experiment and to introduce the best ecotypes for further research and to be used as crossbreeding parents in crossbreeding projects.

In this study which was investigated in nine ecotypes and three different species, phytochemical traits including total flavonoid content, total anthocyanin content, tyrosinase enzyme inhibitory activity, and cholinesterase inhibitory activity were evaluated in different ecotypes of marshmallow.

The results showed that the Kermanshah ecotype of Althaea officinalis had the highest amount of flavonoids (18.47 mg of quercetin per gram of extract) and cholinesterase inhibitory activity (28.37 mg/ml based on IC50), while the Bushehr ecotype of A. ficifolia had the highest amount of anthocyanins (6.45 mg) and the Yazd ecotype of A. officinalis had the highest tyrosinase enzyme inhibitory activity (84.25 mg/ml based on IC50). Pearson's correlation coefficients revealed a positive and significant correlation between the investigated traits. In orthogonal comparisons, the Kermanshah, Mazandaran, and Isfahan ecotypes of A. officinalis had the highest levels of flavonoids and cholinesterase inhibitory activity. Cluster analysis by the WARD method showed that the ecotypes related to one species were placed in one group.

These findings suggest that the studied species and ecotypes have high diversity, which can be useful for improvement and selection of phytochemical traits in marshmallow. The investigated ecotypes can be used as the base population and initial parents of the cross in further experiments.