Phytochemical and antioxidant profiles of leaves from different <i>Sorbus</i> L. species

<div><p>Leaves of <i>Sorbus</i> L. have been used in various traditional medicine systems. Phenolic compounds determine the main pharmacological effects of <i>Sorbus</i> L. In this study, phytochemical and antioxidant profiles of <i>Sorbus anglica</i>, <i>Sorbus aria</i>, <i>Sorbus arranensis</i>, <i>Sorbus aucuparia</i>, <i>Sorbus austriaca</i>, <i>Sorbus caucasica</i>, <i>Sorbus commixta</i>, <i>Sorbus discolor</i>, <i>Sorbus gracilis</i>, <i>Sorbus hostii</i>, <i>Sorbus semi-incisa</i> and <i>Sorbus tianschanica</i> were determined. Twenty four constituents were identified in <i>Sorbus</i> L. species using ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled to quadruple and time-of-flight mass spectrometers. Post-column FRAP assay identified compounds with reducing activity and revealed significantly greatest total antioxidant activity of 175.30 μmol TE/g DW, 169.20 μmol TE/g DW and 148.11 μmol TE/g DW in <i>S. commixta</i>, <i>S. discolor</i> and <i>S. gracilis</i> leaf samples, respectively, with neochlorogenic and chlorogenic acids being most significant contributors. Characteristic fingerprints of phytochemical and antioxidant profiles could be applied for the quality evaluation of various raw materials of <i>Sorbus</i> L. species.</p></div

Detection and analysis of triterpenic compounds in apple extracts

<p>A new technique for the rapid detection and analysis of triterpenic compounds in apple extracts using HPLC was developed and validated. The main advantage of this technique is the short duration of the analysis – this makes this technique superior to others currently applied for the routine HPLC analysis of triterpenic compounds. The developed, optimized, and validated technique was used for the evaluation of triterpenic compounds in samples of different cultivars of apples, their peels, and flesh. In total, four triterpenic compounds were isolated and identified. Ursolic acid was the dominant compound in all the tested apple samples. The highest amounts of triterpenic compounds were detected in the peels of the ‘Lodel’ apple cultivar, and thus apples of this cultivar may be potentially useful for the isolation of individual compounds and the production of functional food and dietary supplements.</p