Affiliations: Laboratory of Natural Medicinal Compounds, Migal –
Galilee Technological Center, P.O. Box 831, Kiryat Shmona 11016, Israel | Department of Biotechnology, Tel-Hai College, Tel-Hai,
Israel
Note: [] Corresponding author: Professor Jacob Vaya. Tel.: +972 4695
3512; Fax: +972 4694 4980; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: The total flavonoid content of leaf extracts (70% ethanol) from
fig (Ficus carica L.), carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) and pistachio
(Pistacia lentiscus L.) plants were determined by using reverse phase
high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-and analyzed by UV/VIS array and
electrospray ionization (ESI)-mass spectrometry (MS) detectors. As a base for
comparison, flavonoid type and level were also determined in extracts from
soybeans and grape seeds. It was found that the major flavonoids in Ficus
are quercetin and luteolin, with a total of 631 and 681 mg/kg extract,
respectively. In Ceratonia leaves, nine different flavonoids were
detected. The major one was myricetin (1486 mg/kg extract), with a similar
level in Pistacia (1331 mg/kg extract, myricetin). The present study is
the first to report the presence of the isoflavone genistein in the
Pistacia leaf, which was discovered to consist of about a third of the
genistein level detected in soybean.
