Dynamics of Phloridzin and Related Compounds in Four Cultivars of Apple Trees during the Vegetation Period

Abstract

Apple trees (Malus domestica Borgh) are a rich source of dihydrochalcones, phenolic acids and flavonoids. Considering the increasing demand for these phytochemicals with health-benefitting properties, the objective of this study was to evaluate the profile of the main bioactive compounds—phloridzin, phloretin, chlorogenic acid and rutin—in apple tree bark, leaves, flower buds and twigs. The variety in the phenolic profiles of four apple tree cultivars was monitored during the vegetation period from March to September using chromatography analysis. Phloridzin, the major glycoside of interest, reached the highest values in the bark of all the tested cultivars in May (up to 91.7 ± 4.4 mg g−1 of the dried weight (DW), cv. ‘Opal’). In the leaves, the highest levels of phloridzin were found in cv. ‘Opal’ in May (82.5 ± 22.0 mg g−1 of DW); in twigs, the highest levels were found in cv. ‘Rozela’ in September (52.4 ± 12.1 mg g−1 of DW). In the flower buds, the content of phloridzin was similar to that in the twigs. Aglycone phloretin was found only in the leaves in relatively low concentrations (max. value 2.8 ± 1.4 mg g−1 of DW). The highest values of rutin were found in the leaves of all the tested cultivars (10.5 ± 2.9 mg g−1 of DW, cv. ‘Opal’ in September); the concentrations in the bark and twigs were much lower. The highest content of chlorogenic acid was found in flower buds (3.3 ± 1.0 mg g−1 of DW, cv. ‘Rozela’). Whole apple fruits harvested in September were rich in chlorogenic acid and phloridzin. The statistical evaluation by Scheffe’s test confirmed the significant difference of cv. ‘Rozela’ from the other tested cultivars. In conclusion, apple tree bark, twigs, and leaves were found to be important renewable resources of bioactive phenolics, especially phloridzin and rutin. The simple availability of waste plant material can therefore be used as a rich source of phenolic compounds for cosmetics, nutraceuticals, and food supplement preparation.

Determination of Phloridzin and Other Phenolic Compounds in Apple Tree Leaves, Bark, and Buds Using Liquid Chromatography with Multilayered Column Technology and Evaluation of the Total Antioxidant Activity

“…'Topaz'). On the contrary, phloretin was not detected in any cultivar, which is in agreement with other studies [25]. Chlorogenic acid was found only in one cultivar; however, its concentration was low (0.22 mg/g DW in cv.…”

“…The reported results indicate that the plant material of an apple tree is an important source of phenolic compounds. Our results are in good agreement with results reported elsewhere [8,9,25]. The total content of the phenolic compounds in apple leaves is summarized in Table 2in the first column-and in more detail with respect to the particular phenolic compounds in Table 3.…”

“…In apple leaf methanolic extracts, the highest values were found in September in cv. 'Opal' at a concentration of 94.58 mg/g DW [25]. The major phenolic compound of all the cultivars was definitely phloridzin at a concentration range of 46.43 mg/g DW (cv.…”

“…'Spartan'). Táborský et al determined the highest values of phenolic compounds in apple bark methanolic extracts at a concentration of 95.85 mg/g DW [25]. Also in bark, phloridzin represented the major component of all the cultivars at a concentration range of 54.52 mg/g DW (cv.…”

Chalcone Scaffolds, Bioprecursors of Flavonoids: Chemistry, Bioactivities, and Pharmacokinetics

“…This chalcone along with licochalcone B, C, and D has been associated with antiviral [ 3 ], anti-inflammatory [ 120 ], antidiabetic [ 121 ], antitrypanosomal [ 122 ], anticancer [ 123 ], and antibacterial [ 124 ] activities. Apple containing dihydrochalcone constituents has biological activities against many diseases [ 125 , 126 ]. Phloretin is the most important chalcone present in apple.…”