COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF THE PROFILE OF FREE ORGANIC ACIDS IN FRUITS OF SEA BUCKTHORN (HIP-POPHAE RHAMNOIDES L.) OF VARIOUS VARIETIES

An important role in the metabolism of ripening plant fruits is assigned to such a group of biologically active substances (BAS) as organic acids. This group of compounds accumulates in the fruits of plant objects in significant quantities, and the nature of the accumulation is in close relationship with metabolic processes, and is also determined by the influence of environmental factors, species and varietal characteristics of the plant. One of the promising plant sources of this group of BAS is the fruits of sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.). On the example of the fruits of ten different varieties of this plant, a comparative study of the profile of free organic acids was carried out using a complex of different methods of analysis (capillary electrophoresis (CE), thin layer chromatography (TLC), titrimetry). The cultivars with the maximum and minimum accumulation of BAS were identified. It was found that the composition of organic acids for the representatives of the variety samples is not the same, the maximum separation of chromatographic zones is observed in the variety «Ryabinovaya», the minimum - in the varieties «Stolichnaya», «Galerit», «Botanicheskaya», «Botanicheskaya amateur». The studied fruits were found to contain oxalic, malic, succinic and tartaric acids, identified using reliable standard samples. In the course of the research, specific marker zones were established, which can characterize the belonging of the fruits to a particular variety. The most informative is the method of СE, as it allows for one analytical procedure to carry out the qualitative and quantitative determination of free organic acids in acid and salt forms. However, complete information on the composition and quantitative content of acids can be obtained only by combining TLC and CE methods.