Content of Sterols in In Vitro Propagated Chamerion angustifolium (L.) Holub Plants

Chamerion angustifolium (L.) Holub (syn. Epilobium angustifolium L., Onagraceae family) is a medicinal plant used as a component of drugs, nutraceuticals and cosmetic products. Ch. angustifolium extracts have shown anti-androgenic, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. C. angustifolium herb contains ellagitannins, flavonoids and phenolic acids, triterpenes and fatty acids. Campesterol, cholesterol, stigmasterol and β-sitosterol and its derivatives have been identified in plants. Phytosterols are synthesized and accumulated in plant in vitro cultures; in this way, in vitro cultures could be an alternative source for the production of phytosterols. The aim of this study was to determine the content of campesterol, β-sitosterol and stigmasterol in Ch. angustifolium plants cultivated in vitro. The plants (shoots) grown in vitro were subjected to the high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) analysis. The mean content of campesterol, stigmasterol and β-sitosterol was: 216.06 ± 82.74 mg/100 g, 464.93 ± 69.56 mg/100 g, 156.08 ± 49.13 mg/100 g, respectively. The investigated genotypes differed in sterol content, particularly in β-sitosterol content: 69.79–222.49 mg/100 g DW. In this study, the effect of genotype on sterol accumulation under in vitro conditions was demonstrated.