Metabolomics analysis of Galium odoratum (L.) Scop.: impact of the plant population origin and growth conditions.

Galium odoratum is a plant used in traditional medicine and to prepare beverages. This work aimed at studying the impact of plant origin and growth conditions on the metabolite content of the plant. Material and methods- Aerial biomass of Galium odoratum was collected from five natural populations (in situ conditions) and from controlled environment (ex situ conditions). Results- Quantitative analysis of selected phytochemicals including phenylpropranoids and iridoids showed clear differences between the plants from nature and those of controlled growth conditions as well as internal variation within the group. The metabolomic approach emphasized the decrease of the secondary metabolites pool paralleled by an increase of the carbohydrates in ex situ conditions. Conclusion- Metabolomics approaches using 1H-NMR and HPLC is worth to consider for studying the impact of climate factors on the regulation of the phytochemical profile in relation to the origin of the plant material.