Determination of Phytochemical Composition in Fruits and Leaves from Different Origins: Black Mulberry, Chokeberry and Elderberry Genotypes

Abstract

Black mulberry, chokeberry and elderberry have medicinal properties associated with the presence of phytochemicals which are compounds with potential antioxidant properties. The previously published reports have shown that these compounds significantly affect the course of disease processes by counteracting oxidative stress. In this study, the primary anthocyanins were identified using high-performance liquid chromatography – tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Individual phenolic compounds, tocopherols and amygdalin were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD). Elemental contents were determined by inductively coupled plasma – optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The obtained results reveal the significant presence of primary and secondary compounds in the assessed fruits and leaves, with notable variations depending on fruit species and genotypes. The most abundant compounds were phenolic acids and flavonoids. Analyses indicated that chlorogenic acid, rutin, and cyanidin derivatives were predominant phenolic compounds in all fruit species, while phenolic acids and flavonoids were prominent in leaf samples. The highest chlorogenic acid was determined in black mulberry leaves (ranging from 2403.23 to 3542.53 mg/100 g). Generally, the concentration of phenolic compounds were higher in the leaves than in the fruits of the plant. The highest concentration of amygdalin was detected in black mulberry fruits, ranging from 102.12 to 272.46 mg/100 g. Calcium and potassium were the dominant elements in both berries and leaves.