Polysaccharide and Flavonoid Contents in Anoectochilus roxburghii and Related Species

Major agronomical characteristics and contents of polysaccharides and flavonoids in Anoectochilus roxburghii and related species from different areas cultivated in a greenhouse for 6 months prior to the chemical analyses were compared. There were distinctive agronomical differences among the sampled species. For instance, the highest yield was shown CK from Fujian, with a per hundred plants fresh weight(FW) of 284.75 g and dry weight (DW) of 45.885 g; the highest polysaccharide content,in the variety from Baise, Guanxi, at 169.61 mgg-1DW, which was 36.56% higher than CK; and, the highest total flavonoids, in the cultivars from Zhushan Village, Nanyang Township, Shaxian, Fujian (No.7), at 9.18 mgg-1DW, which was 34.74% higher than CK.By comparison, the polysaccharide content of A. formosanus was lower than that of A.roxburghii and A. lanceolatus; the total flavonoids of A. formosanus, higher than that of A.lanceolatus, but not significantly different from those of the cultivars from Fujian; and, both polysaccharides and total flavonoid significantly higher in No. 7. Consequently, the cultivars from Zhushan was considered to have a potential for further study and promotion.