Analysis of Variations in the Flavonoid Profiles of Cuscuta campestris and Cuscuta epithymum in Bulgaria as a Potential Chemotaxonomical Marker

Holoparasitic plants of the genus <i>Cuscuta</i> are generally considered prominent agricultural pests. In addition to their negative economic effect on agriculture and their impact on natural plant societies, they have also been long known in East Asian as medicinal plants with beneficial properties. This underlines the fact that <i>Cuscuta</i> spp. are particularly rich in specialized metabolites, flavonoids, alkaloids, and cumarines, among others. In addition to several well-characterized species, most of the species variety within the genus remains largely unstudied. In the present study we aimed to compare the flavonoid profiles of natural populations of two of the most abundant <i>Cuscuta</i> species in Bulgaria-the native <i>C. epithymum</i>, and the naturalized <i>C. campestris</i>. Based on HPLC-MS/MS analysis, a total of 13 polyphenolics compounds were annotated, with hyperoside and isoquercitrin being some of the most abundant. Some notable differences were found, like the complete absence of dicaffeoylquinic acid in <i>C. campestris</i>, and kaempferol-3,7-O-diglucoside and kaempferol 3-O-β-(6''-O-trans-p-coumaroyl)-glucopyranoside in <i>C. epithymum</i>. The population of the two species clustered separately from each other, with some variations, but with no clear pattern of dependence on the locality or host species. Based on the results it can be concluded that flavonoids may be used as chemotaxonomical markers within the genus, showing that even in different climatic conditions and different host ranges, the two studied species clearly differed from each other. Also, their rich content emphasizes the potential of these parasites as a source of bioactive compounds.