Variation of the Contents of Triterpenoids and Tannins Depending on Growth and Infection in the Leaves of Rubus crataegifolius and Rubus parvifolius

ABSTRACT

Several 19alpha-hydroxyursane-type triterpenoids and hydrolysable tannins have beneficial effects on human health. Rubus crataegifolius (Rosaceae) has the cleft simple leaf whereas R. parvifolius has pinnate compound leaves. This research was aimed to find the variation in the contents of the triterpenoids and tannins between the infected versus uninfected leaves of R. coreanus and R. parvifolius and between young versus mature leaves. Triterpenoids and tannins were quantitatively analyzed by HPLC. Six triterpenoids including tormentic acid, euscaphic acid, 23-hydroxytormentic acid, coreanoside F1, kaji-ichigoside F1 and niga-ichigoside F1 were used for standard compounds. Gallotannins and ellagitannins were quantitatively evaluated using the indicatives of methyl gallate and ellagic acid. The infected leaves of R. crataegifolius contained higher levels of triterpenoids and tannin than the uninfected leaves; however, lower quantity of total tannin was observed in the mature leaves than in the young leaves. Although the pinnate compound leaves of R. parvifolius exhibited similar tendency of those compositional variation with R. crataegifolius each other, its contents of triterpenoids do not considerably vary. Variation of the contents of triterpenoids and tannins were particularly distinct in R. crataegifolius by growth and infection.