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 confi rmed 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 fl esh, seed kernel) of fi ve 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 signifi cant amount of carnitine in the fruit fl esh. The clear, signifi cant differences between the genotypes will facilitate the selection of cultivars containing the largest proportion of components benefi cial for human health.