Phytochemical study of leaves and inflorescences of two genus Sorbus L. species native for the Ukrainian flora

Abstract

Rowan species (genus Sorbus L., Rosaceae Juss.) are widespread in the Northern Hemisphere under different climatic and ecological conditions. Recent molecular-phylogenetic studies confirmed that genus Sorbus L. is polyphyletic and must be divided into the segregate genera. Accordingly, the native for the Ukrainian flora species Sorbus domestica L. and Sorbus torminalis (L.) Crantz., having very distant morphological features of vegetative and generative organs, must belong to different genera. In this regard we assumed the chemotaxonomic importance of the specificity in the phenolic content and composition of two indicated rowan species. Young leaves and inflorescences of S. domestica and S. torminalis were collected in Botanical Garden of Oles Honchar DNU in May 2023. Analyses of isopropanol plant extracts revealed the higher levels of total phenolic content (2.5 times), flavonoids (1.5 times) and phenolic acids content (3.2 times), as well as ferric-reducing power (1.2 times), and total antioxidant capacity (1.7 times) in leaves of S. domestica, as compared to S. torminalis leaves. In general, S. domestica leaves accumulated higher total phenols, flavonoids and phenolic acids content than the inflorescences, while the opposite ratio was found for S. torminalis. Study results confirmed the chemotaxonomic importance of polyphenols content and composition of two rowan species. However, more detailed investigations are necessary to establish the correlation between the individual phenolic compounds and the rowan species features.