Polyphenol variability of Italian and Tunisian populations of Portulaca oleracea L.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate morphological parameters variability and biochemical diversity of different purslane populations growing in Tunisia and Italy. Both Portulaca oleracea subsp. sylvestris (DC.) Celak., and Portulaca oleracea subsp. sativa (Haw.) Celak. are characterized; they can be easily distinguished by the color and form of the stems, showing also a high intra-population variability. Polyphenols composition was analyzed by HPLC for both Tunisian and Sicilian populations. Results indicated a high variability of polyphenols total amount and profile among spontaneous and cultivated forms of Portulaca of the two counties. Further studies are needed to investigate the relationship between the bioactive compounds and the geographic origin and genotype.