Total Carotenoid, Flavonoid and Phenolic Compounds Concentration in Willowleaf Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster Salicifolius Franch.) Fruits

Willofleaf cotoneaster (Cotoneaster salicifolius Franch.) is a low, prostrate shrub, grown in Romania as an ornamental plant. Its fruits are small, ovoid pomes. Fruit tissues were analyzed for total carotenoid content (through acetone extraction and spectrophotometry), flavonoid content (methanol extraction and spectrophotometry) and total concentration of phenolic and polyphenolic compounds (methanol extraction and spectrophotometric Folin-Ciocâlteu method). C. salicifolius fruits analyzed contained an average of 311.50 mg/kg DW carotenoids (heat-dried fruits – only 100.25 mg/kg). Average flavonoid concentration was 9,777.62 mg/kg in fresh frozen fruits and 4,574 mg/kg in dried ones. 25,056.09 mg/kg GAE was the average concentration of total phenolics in fresh fruits, while dry fruit powder contained 5,271 mg/kg GAE. These concentrations of bioactive compounds are comparable, or even have a higher than in pomes belonging to related species, including domestic cultivars of rowanberry (Sorbus sp.), wild Sorbus species, firethorns (Pyracantha sp.), or other studied cotoneasters. This shows a significant potential for these pomes, requiring further investigation. However, heat-drying was found to be an unsuitable processing method for these fruits, since it led to a 53.22-78.94 percent decrease in bioactive compounds concentrations.