Health-affecting methyl-donor compounds in sour cherry (prunus cerasus l.) fruit parts in the fruit burgeoning stage

Abstract

In recent years, numerous studies have confirmed the vital role and therapeutic potential of quaternary ammonium compounds and endogenous formaldehyde in the prevention and treatment of diseases. These compounds participate in the transmethylation processes and play a role in the metabolism and in the regulation of cellular processes. The present research indicates that sour cherry fruit contains large quantities of quaternary ammonium compounds in the early developmental phase (burgeoning). The quantity of methyl-donor compounds (choline, carnitine) and easily mobilizable methyl groups were measured in various fruit parts (stalk, fruit flesh, seed kernel) of five sour cherry cultivars using OPLC technology, and the cultivar dependence of the detected compounds was examined. The results of comparative examinations established the presence of choline in the stalk and seed and of a significant amount of carnitine in the fruit flesh. The clear, significant differences between the genotypes will facilitate the selection of cultivars containing the largest proportion of components beneficial for human health.