Abstract
Plant parts of some spontaneous fruit species were analyzed by HPLC-UV method to determine their content in phenolic compounds. Buds, leaves, flowers, and fruits were harvested from 11 wild fruit species of medicinal, food, and therapeutic interest: European crab apple, European wild pear, blackthorn, dog rose, elder, dewberry, wild blackberry, cornelian cherry, red hawthorn, black hawthorn, and green strawberry. The studied species were analyzed for the presence and amount of phenolic compounds: flavonoids from the subclasses flavanols (catechin hydrate and epicatechin) and flavonols (rutin, myricetin, quercetin, and kaempferol) together with phenolic acids belonging to the hydroxybenzoic acid subclass (ellagic, gallic, syringic, vanillic, and salicylic) and hydroxycinnamic acids (caffeic, ferulic, sinapic, p-coumaric, neochlorogenic, and chlorogenic). The obtained results confirm the presence of bioactive compounds in different plant parts in wild fruit species. The variability identified from one species to another, the different compositions of phenols within the species, provides useful data on the role of these plant parts in the human body.
Highlights
Phenolic compounds represent a class of intensively studied bioactive molecules, with numerous health benefits, used in the pharmaceutical industry for the treatment of various diseases; in the food industry as additives, natural preservatives, and dyes; in the cosmetic industry due to its antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties, offering protection against UV radiation; in the textile industry as natural dye; and in the packaging industry as a quality indicator [1]
The species studied were analyzed regarding the presence and amount of phenolic compounds, that is, flavonoids from the subclasses flavanols ((+)-catechin hydrate and (-)-epicatechin) and flavonols together with phenolic acids belonging to the subclass of hydroxybenzoic acids and hydroxycinnamic acids
Regarding the flavonoid content (Table 1) of the plant parts of the studied wild fruit species, among the flavanols, catechin hydrate was identified to be at the highest amount in cornelian cherry fruits (268.16 mg/100 g DW), dog rose leaves (545.16 mg/100 g DW), and blackthorn flowers (494.94 mg/100 g DW), while epicatechin, at the highest amount, was identified in red hawthorn fruits (143.25 mg/100 g DW) and green strawberry leaves and flowers
Summary
Phenolic compounds represent a class of intensively studied bioactive molecules, with numerous health benefits, used in the pharmaceutical industry for the treatment of various diseases; in the food industry as additives, natural preservatives, and dyes; in the cosmetic industry due to its antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties, offering protection against UV radiation; in the textile industry as natural dye; and in the packaging industry as a quality indicator [1]. Wild fruit species are of particular importance due to their properties and bioactive compounds [2] present in all plant parts (root, bark, buds, flowers, leaves, fruits, seeds, and kernels). Their usefulness in food, medicine, and therapy has long been researched, and the role of consuming fresh or processed fruits in various forms, as well as the use of other plant parts in treating various conditions, has attracted attention since ancient times [3]. Black hawthorn (Crataegus pentagyna) leaves and flowers contain high amounts of polyphenols with a beneficial antioxidant effect for the treatment of cardiovascular disorders [6].
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