Research in the chemical composition of the bark of Sorbus aucuparia

The quantitative contents of 40 carboxylic acids, with the prevalence of hexadecanedioic, lignocerinic, behenic, azelaic, palmitic and benzoic acids, and 39 components of essential oil were determined in the extracts of the bark of Sorbus aucuparia by the GC-MS method. The quantitative contents of 6 phenolic compounds, i.e., chlorogenic, caffeic, and gallic acids, catechin, quercetin, and apigenin-7-glucoside were determined by the HPLC method in the ethanolic extract of the bark of Sorbus aucuparia.

Keywords: Sorbus aucuparia; bark; carboxylic acids; phenolic compounds; essential oil; GC-MS; HPLC

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We determined the contents of 40 carboxylic acids in the bark of S. aucuparia by the GC-MS method as 10 aromatic, 12 dibasic, 1 tribasic, and 17 fatty acids; predominantly hexadecanedioic (903.0 mg/kg), lignoceric (850.5 mg/kg), behenic (732.3 mg/kg), azelaic (697.3 mg/kg), palmitic (444.6 mg/kg) and benzoic acid (317.0 mg/kg). Identified in the essential oil of the bark of S. aucuparia also were 39 components, namely 1 triterpene, 8 aldehydes, 3 alcohols, 3 ketones, 12 fatty acids and 12 alkanes. The oil contains a significant amount of the precursor 
of numerous triterpenes, i.e., squalene (1283.52 mg/kg). Most identified aldehydes, alcohols and ketones are fragrant substances imparting odour to the raw materials. Identified by the HPLC method also were 6 phenolic compounds in the ethanolic extract of the bark of S. aucuparia. Also determined were 3 phenolic acids, i.e., chlorogenic, caffeic and gallic, and 3 flavonoids, i.e., catechin, quercetin and apigenin-7-glucoside, with chlorogenic acid (0.056 mg/g) prevailing among the acids in the raw material and catechin (0.191 mg/g) prevailing among the flavonoids. Previously, chlorogenic and caffeic acids, catechin and quercetin were found in the leaves and fruit of S. aucuparia, and gallic acid in the fruit of S. aucuparia 2-5). Apigenin-7-glucoside was not identified in S. aucuparia, but it was identified, among the species of the genus Sorbus, in the leaves of S. torminalis12). The results of the present research testify for the importance of further phytochemical and pharmacological studies in the bark of S. aucuparia.