The aim of this study was to determine the composition and content of phenolic compounds in extracts of plum fruit. Fruit of 17 plum cultivars were analyzed. Fruit samples were collected in 2019 from fruit trees with “Myrobalan” (P. cerasifera Ehrh.) and “Wangenheim Prune” (P. domestica L.) rootstocks. The following glycosides of the flavonol group were identified: avicularin, isorhamnetin-3-O-rutinoside, isoquercitrin, hyperoside, rutin, and an aglycone quercetin. Compounds of the flavan-3-ol group were identified, such as (+)-catechin, procyanidin C1, and procyanidin A2, along with chlorogenic acid attributed to phenolic acids and a non-phenolic cyclitol–quinic acid. Of all the analytes identified in plum fruit samples, quinic acid predominated, while chlorogenic acid predominated among all the identified phenolic compounds, and rutin predominated in the flavonol group. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that fruit samples of “Kubanskaya Kometa”, “Zarechnaya Raniaya”, “Duke of Edinburgh”, “Jubileum”, and “Favorita del Sultano” cultivars had different quantitative content of phenolic compounds from that observed in other samples. The highest total amount of phenolic compounds was found in the European plum samples of the “Zarechnaya Rannyaya” cultivar, while the amount of quinic acid was the highest in plum fruit samples of the “Jubileum” cultivar.

Lonicera caerulea L. is an early fruit-bearing plant that originates from harsh environments. Raw materials contain a body of different phenolic origin compounds that determine the multidirectional antioxidant and pharmacological activities. The aim of this study was to comprehensively evaluate the phenolic composition, antioxidant capacities, vegetative, pomological, and sensory properties and their interrelations of selected L. caerulea cultivars, namely ‘Amphora’, ‘Wojtek’, ‘Iga’, ’Leningradskij Velikan’, ‘Nimfa’, ‘Indigo Gem’, ‘Tundra’, ‘Tola’, and fruit powders. Combined chromatographic systems were applied for the qualitative and quantitative profiling of 23 constituents belonging to the classes of anthocyanins, flavonols, flavones, proanthocyanidins, and phenolic acids. The determined markers of phytochemical profiles were cyanidin-3-glucoside, rutin, chlorogenic, and 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid. Anthocyanins and the predominant compound, cyanidin-3-glucoside, were the determinants of antioxidant activity. Cultivars ‘Amphora’, ‘Indigo Gem’, and ‘Tundra’ contained the greatest total amounts of identified phenolic compounds. Phenotypic characterization revealed the superiority of cultivars ‘Wojtek’ and ’Tundra’ compared to other cultivars, although ’Wojtek’ had low phenolic content and antioxidant activity and ’Tundra’ got lower sensory evaluation scores. Coupling the results of phenotypic and phytochemical characterization, cultivar ‘Tundra’ could be suitable for commercial plantations.

We investigated the qualitative and quantitative composition of phenolic compounds in the fruit of Rosa L. cultivars grown in Lithuania. The highest total content of phenolic compounds (50.13 ± 4.17 mg GAE/g, p < 0.05) was determined in fruit samples of Rosa pimpinellifolia L. cultivar “Single Cherry”. The highest levels of hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives were determined in fruit samples of Rosa rugosa Thunb. cultivars “Dart’s Defender” and “Adam Chodun”. The highest flavonoid content was determined in fruit samples of Rosa multiflora Thunb. cultivar “Nana” and R. multiflora species. The strongest antioxidant activity evaluated by applying DPPH and FRAP assays was determined in fruit extracts of R. pimpinellifolia cultivar “Single Cherry” and R. rugosa cultivar “Adam Chodun”. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of phenolic compounds in Rosa L. fruit was performed by applying UHPLC. The following phenolic compounds were identified in fruit samples: caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, quercetin, quercitrin, (+)-catechin, (−)-epicatechin, (−)-epicatechin gallate, rutin, phloridzin, and kaempferol-3-O-glycoside. A strong correlation was determined between the total amount of phenolic compounds determined in extracts of the fruit samples of Rosa L. cultivars and the radical scavenging and reducing activity of their extracts in vitro (R = 0.767 and 0.727, respectively, p < 0.05).

Both cytosolic fatty acid synthesis (FAS) and mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation (FAO) have been shown to play a role in the survival and proliferation of cancer cells. This study aimed to confirm experimentally whether FAS and FAO coexist in breast cancer cells (BCC). By feeding cells with ¹³C-labeled glutamine and measuring labeling patterns of TCA intermediates, it was possible to show that part of the cytosolic acetyl-CoA used in lipid synthesis is also fed back into the mitochondrion via fatty acid degradation. This results in the transfer of reductive potential from the cytosol (in the form of NADPH) to the mitochondrion (in the form of NADH and FADH₂). The hypothesized mechanism was further confirmed by blocking FAS and FAO with siRNAs. Exposure to staurosporine (which induces ROS production) resulted in the disruption of simultaneous FAS and FAO, which could be explained by NADPH depletion.

The aerial parts of Anthemis tinctoria L. and Angelica sylvestris L. and the roots of A. sylvestris have been used as traditional anticancer remedies in Estonian ethnomedicine. The aim of this study was to investigate content of essential oils (by gas chromatography) and polyphenolic compounds (using two different methods of high performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS)) of both plant species, as well as the in vitro anti-cancer effects of their essential oils and methanolic extracts. The average (n = 5 samples) yield of essential oils was 0.15%, 0.13%, and 0.17%, respectively. The principal compounds of the essential oil from the aerial parts of A. tinctoria were palmitic acid (15.3%), p-cymene (12.6%), and α-muurolene (12.5%), and α-pinene (45.4%), p-cymene (15.5%), and β-myrcene (13.3%) in aerial parts of A. sylvestris, while isocaryophyllene oxide (31.9%), α-bisabolol (17.5%), and α-pinene (12.4%) were the main constituents in the roots. The most abundant phenolic compounds in aerial parts were the derivatives of caffeic acid, quinic acid, and quercetin; the main compounds in roots of A. sylvestris were chlorogenic acid, quinic acid, and naringenin. The strongest anticancer effects were observed in essential oils of A. sylvestris roots and aerial parts on human carcinoma in the mouth cells (KB, IC₅₀ 19.73 μg/mL and 19.84 μg/mL, respectively). The essential oil of A. tinctoria showed a strong effect on KB and LNCaP cells (27.75–29.96 μg/mL). The methanolic extracts of both plants had no effect on the cancer cells studied.

Cranberries are used in the production of medicinal preparations and food supplements, which highlights the importance of triterpene compounds determination in cranberry fruit raw material. The aim of our study was to develop and validate for routine testing suitable UPLC-DAD methodology for the evaluation of triterpene acids, neutral triterpenoids, phytosterols, and squalene content in cranberry samples. The developed and optimized UPLC-DAD methodology was validated according to the guidelines of the International Council for Harmonization (ICH), evaluating the following parameters: range, specificity, linearity (R² > 0.999), precision, LOD (0.27–1.86 µg/mL), LOQ (0.90–6.18 µg/mL), and recovery (80–110%). The developed and validated technique was used for the evaluation of triterpenic compounds in samples of Vaccinium macrocarpon and Vaccinium oxycoccos fruits, and their peels, pulp and seeds. The studied chromatogram profiles of Vaccinium macrocarpon and Vaccinium oxycoccos were identical but differed in the areas of the analytical peaks. Ursolic acid was the dominant compound in fruit samples of Vaccinium macrocarpon and Vaccinium oxycoccos. The highest amounts of triterpenic compounds were detected in the cranberry peels samples. The developed method for the detection of triterpene compounds can be applied in further studies for routine testing on the qualitative and quantitative composition of fruit samples of Vaccinium macrocarpon and Vaccinium oxycoccos species and cultivars.