Depsides and other phenolic acids (PhAs) are a subgroups of polyphenolics with antioxidant activity very important in phytotherapy and also in cosmetology.
Our earlier investigations with in vitro cultures of black aronia (Aronia melanocarpa) and red aronia (A. arbutifolia) confirmed especially high production of depsides [1],[2],[3].
The aim of the present studies were the investigations on PhAs production after feeding of culture media with caffeic acid (CafA) in agitated cultures of both aronias.
The culture were maintained for 20 days (3-series) on Murashige & Skoog medium [4] (BAP – 1 mg/l, NAA – 1 mg/l) without and with addition of CafA (0.1; 0.5; 1.5; 10 mmol/l).
In the methanolic extracts from biomasses the estimation of 22 PhAs were performed using HPLC method [5].
The presence of seven PhAs were confirmed. The main metabolites in biomass (extracts) of both aronias were depsides – chlorogenic, isochlorogenic and neochlorogenic acids (black aronia) and chlorogenic, isochlorogenic and cryptochlorogenic acids (red aronia). The total amounts of PhAs ranged from 290 to 661 mg/100gDW and from 194 to 967 mg/100gDW, in black and red aronias, respectively. The highest amounts of PhAs were documented after addition of 1 mmol/l and 5 mmol/l of CafA, in black and red aronias, respectively.
The obtained results documented that the feeding of culture media with CafA stimulate the high production of depsides with important antioxidant activity.
