College of Horticulture, Shanxi Agricultural University, Jinzhong 030801, China.
Molecules. 2023 Aug 27;28(17):6272. doi: 10.3390/molecules28176272.
Chinese dwarf cherry () is a wild fruit tree and medicinal plant endemic to China. Its fruits are rich in various bioactive compounds, such as flavonoids and carotenoids, which contribute greatly to their high antioxidant capacity. In this study, the contents of bioactive substances (chlorophyll, carotenoids, ascorbic acid, anthocyanin, total flavonoids, and total phenols), antioxidant capacities, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonicacid) (ABTS) scavenging ability, and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP)) in differentially pigmented fruits of four varieties were determined and compared. The results revealed that anthocyanin, total flavonoids and total phenols were the three main components responsible for the antioxidant activity of . fruits. 'Jinou No.1' fruits with dark red peel and red flesh had the highest contents of anthocyanin, total flavonoids, and total phenols, as well as the highest antioxidant capacities; 'Nongda No.5' fruits with yellow-green peel and yellow flesh had the highest contents of carotenoids and chlorophyll, while 'Nongda No.6' fruit had the highest ascorbic acid content. To further reveal the molecular mechanism underlying differences in the accumulation of carotenoids and flavonoids among differentially pigmented fruits, the expression patterns of structural genes involved in the biosynthesis of the two compounds were investigated. Correlation analysis results revealed that the content of carotenoids in fruits was very significantly positively correlated with the expression of the , , , , , , , and genes ( < 0.01) and significantly negatively correlated with the expression of ( < 0.05). The anthocyanin content was very significantly positively correlated with , , and expression ( < 0.01). The total flavonoid content was very significantly positively correlated with the expression of , , and ( < 0.01) and significantly positively correlated with expression ( < 0.05). This study can provide a basis for understanding the differences in the accumulation of bioactive substances, and is helpful for clarifying the mechanisms underlying the accumulation of various carotenoids and flavonoids among differentially pigmented fruits.
中国矮樱（）是中国特有的野生果树和药用植物。其果实富含多种生物活性化合物，如类黄酮和类胡萝卜素，这极大地促成了其高抗氧化能力。本研究测定并比较了四个品种不同色素果实中的生物活性物质（叶绿素、类胡萝卜素、抗坏血酸、花青素、总黄酮和总酚）、抗氧化能力、2,2-二苯基-1-苦基肼（DPPH）和 2,2'-联氮-双（3-乙基苯并噻唑啉-6-磺酸）（ABTS）清除能力以及铁还原抗氧化能力（FRAP））。结果表明，花青素、总黄酮和总酚是决定中国矮樱果实抗氧化活性的三种主要成分。果皮暗红色、果肉红色的‘金纽扣 1 号’果实，其花青素、总黄酮和总酚含量最高，抗氧化能力最强；果皮黄绿色、果肉黄色的‘农大 5 号’果实，其类胡萝卜素和叶绿素含量最高，而‘农大 6 号’果实的抗坏血酸含量最高。为了进一步揭示不同色素中国矮樱果实中类胡萝卜素和类黄酮积累差异的分子机制，研究了这两种化合物生物合成相关结构基因的表达模式。相关分析结果表明，中国矮樱果实类胡萝卜素含量与、、、、、、和 基因的表达呈极显著正相关（<0.01），与 基因的表达呈显著负相关（<0.05）。花青素含量与、和 基因的表达呈极显著正相关（<0.01）。总黄酮含量与、和 基因的表达呈极显著正相关（<0.01），与 基因的表达呈显著正相关（<0.05）。本研究可为了解生物活性物质积累差异提供依据，有助于阐明不同色素中国矮樱果实中各种类胡萝卜素和类黄酮积累的机制。
