Phytochemical Composition of the Fruits and Seed Oil of Mespilus Germanica from Guba

Abstract

The effectiveness of using plant products for medicinal purposes should be confirmed by medical observations, or such use may be justified by experimental pharmacological data and chemical composition. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive phytochemical characterization of German medlar from a forest area near the district center of Guba. The analytical part of the work was carried out using standard chemical analysis methods. Integrated processing of medlar fruits was tested, yielding concentrated pulp purée and oil (CO₂ extract) from the seeds. The main results were the identification of specific features in the phytochemical profile of this local wild plant, a proposal to improve the rheological properties of concentrated purée, and optimization of the technological parameters of CO₂ extraction from the seeds. In the dry fruit mass, soluble carbohydrates (41.01±0.40%) and lipids (17.63±0.18%) predominated. The largest group of P-active compounds was catechins, with contents of 54.01±6.99 mg% in free forms and 491.3±63.6 mg% in condensed forms, relative to the dry mass of the fruit pulp. The maximum yield of the lipophilic fraction from dry, ground seeds (>18% of their dry mass) and the best quality were obtained by CO₂ extraction for 4 hours at 40 °C and a pressure of 200 atm. Linoleic (70.53%) and oleic (17.03%) acids predominated among the fatty acids. Overall, the pulp of local medlar and the lipophilic fraction of its seeds had a rich composition of biologically active substances that may produce a combined health-promoting effect.