The content of carotenoids in plant fruits of <i>Sorbus</i> L. species and varieties when introduced in the North (Komi Republic)

Abstract

The paper presents data on the study of the content of carotenoids in plant fruits of different Sorbus species and varieties when introduced in the Komi Republic. As a result of a biochemical analysis, the accumulation of various amounts of carotenoids has been revealed: from 2,6 to 43 mg/%, depending on the species, sample and variety. The author compared the content of this group of substances in raw materials of plants introduced in the Komi Republic with the ones growing in other regions of Russia (Republic of Bashkortostan, Republic of Mordovia, Saratov, Penza, Moscow Region and others). It has been shown that under northern conditions in rowan fruits the value of the total carotenoids prevails in representatives of the Sorbus section with an East Asian range ( S. pohuashanensis , S. discolor , S. amurensis ), except the Far Eastern species S. sambucifolia . A different content of carotenoids in the plant fruits of S. aucuparia samples has been established: the maximum is in the sample from Yoshkar-Ola, which is 3-5 times higher than that in S. aucuparia from the Komi Republic. The content of this group of substances in the rowan fruits of the three studied varieties (Businka, Rubinovaya and Sorbinka) has been determined; their predominance in the Sorbinka variety has been shown. The study of the biochemical composition of plant raw materials of mountain ash species and varieties with the highest content of carotenoids when introduced in the North should be continued in order to further assess its qualitative composition and to develop recommendations for its use as a medicinal product, as well as a source of functional ingredients for pharmaceutical and food industries.