Fitohemijska karakterizacija i biohemijska ispitivanja plodova vrsta roda Sorbus L. 1753 (Rosaceae, Maloideae) kao izvora prirodnih nutraceutika | Phytochemical characterization and biochemical activity of fruits of genus Sorbus L. 1753 (Rosaceae, Maloideae) as natural source of nutraceutics

The aim of presented PhD thesis was investigation of phytochemical composition and biological activity of water and methanol extracts of fresh and air-dried fruits, as well as jam, made according to traditional recipe, of fruits of four (one of them occurs in two forms) wild growing Sorbus L. species: S. aucuparia, S. domestica, S. torminalis f. torminalis, S. torminalis f. semitorminalis and S. intermedia. Examination of phytochemical composition included LC-MS/MS analysis of 44 selected phenolic compounds and quinic acid (organic acid). Also, total phenolic and flavonoid contents, as well as ascorbic acid content, were determined spectrophotometrically. Biological activity evaluation of extracts of Sorbus species included in vitro investigation of antioxidant, anti-acetylcholinesterase, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity. According to obtained results, fresh and air-dried fruits, as well as jam present moderate source of phenolic compounds. Amongs examined phenolic acids protocatechuic and ferulic acids were the most abundant, and amongs investigated flavonoids amentoflavone and quercetin-3-O-glucoside wete present in noticeable amount. Furthermore, high concentration of quinic acid was present in all examined extracts. Extracts of all examined species showed moderate antioxidant activity in terms of radical scavenging ability, reduction potential and inhibition of lipid peroxidation. Also, investigation of anti-acetylcholinesterase activity revealed moderate activity only of extracts of S. aucuparia. Furthermore, examinated extracts of Sorbus species showedmoderate antimicrobial activity against Gram–positive bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, and Gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli. In addition, water and methanol extracts of fresh and air-dried fruits of S.aucuparia showed inhibitory activity toward tumor (HeLa, MCF7, HT-29), and also non-tumor (MRC-5) cell lines. Presented results indicate significant biopotential of examined fruits of Sorbus species and support their use in food industry as functional food.