High-performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC–ESI-MS) profiling
of the MeOH extract of Astragalus gombiformis Pomel (Fabaceae) aerial parts guided the isolation
of seven phenolic compounds among which 7-methylquercetin 3-O--l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)--
d-galactopyranoside (2) and 7-methylquercetin 3-O--l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-[6-O-(3-hydroxy-3-
methylglutaryl)--d-galactopyranoside] (7) whose structures were elucidated by NMR and ESI-MS
experiments. The radical scavenging activities of isolated compounds were investigated, by using the
TEAC assay. Furthermore quantitative analyses were performed by LC–ESI-MS and applied to the comparative
profiling of different parts (aerial parts, leaves and stems) of cultivated and wild A. gombiformis
samples, confirming the interest of these compounds as markers of the species. Finally, a Principal Component
Analysis was carried out in order to highlight the differences between different parts of cultivated
and wild plants.