Comparison of steroids and triterpenoids in leaf cuticular waxes of selected Polish and Russian cultivars and genotypes of edible honeysuckle

Abstract

Lonicera caerulea, known as edible honeysuckle, honeyberry, blue honeysuckle, sweet berry honeysuckle, or haskap, is a perennial fruit-bearing plant belonging to the Caprifoliaceae family. Currently, the cultivation of this plant species is becoming increasingly popular due to its early fruit ripening, exceptional resistance to frost, pests, and diseases, as well as its potential health-promoting and therapeutic properties. GC–MS analysis of steroids and triterpenoids from leaf waxes of selected cultivars and genotypes of edible honeysuckle displayed significant difference in the qualitative and quantitative composition. The leaves of edible honeysuckle cultivars of Russian origin were characterized by common features: distinctively high content of steroids in relation to pentacyclic triterpenoids, with 24-methylenecycloartanol and α-amyrin as compounds dominating in respective classes; and the absence of friedelin. The Polish cultivars and genotypes analyzed in this study can be divided into two groups: Jolanta cultivar, genotypes T, and Nr 38, showing a certain degree of similarity with the Russian cultivars (e.g., the predominance of steroids), by contrast to Wojtek cultivar, genotypes Nr 30, and 44, characterized by the predominance of pentacyclic triterpenoids with α-amyrin. A special feature was the presence of friedelin, which was identified only in two cultivars (Jolanta and Wojtek) belonging to two different groups.