Chemotaxonomic Classification using Flavonoid and Comparative Alcohol Decomposition activity of Different origin of Hovenia dulcis fruit

Chemotaxonomic Classification using Flavonoid and Comparative Alcohol Decomposition activity of Different origin of Hovenia dulcis fruit

Current study is aimed to classify Hovenia dulcis chemotaxonomically and to compare the alcohol decomposition activity in different countries of origin at molecular level. Compounds 1, 2, and 3 were isolated from Korean Hovenia dulcis and compounds 4 and 5 were isolated from Chinese Hovenia dulcis. The 34 samples were classified into two groups using a developed UPLC-DAD method according to the marker compounds 1, 3, 4, and 5. The current use of UPLC-DAD analysis for the fruit of Hovenia dulcis is novel. Results of the quantitative analysis showed a different pattern of Korean and Chinese Hovenia dulcis. The Hovenia dulcis of Korean origin contained compound 1 (0.0869% ± 0.0702), 3 (0.0023%±0.0009), and 4 (0.0247% ± 0.0091), while 5 was not detected. The Hovenia dulcis of Chinese origin contained compound 4 (0.0311%±0.0255) and 5 (0.0030%±0.0003). An assay using alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenases was performed on compound 1 and 4, which were the main compounds contained in the Hovenia dulcis of Korean and Chinese origin, respectively. The activity of alcohol dehydrogenase showed a higher level with compound 4 than 1, whereas the activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase showed a higher level with compound 1 than 4. This study suggests a method to distinguish Hovenia dulcis types by using UPLC-DAD. This study classifies and compares Hovenia dulcis from two different origins at the molecular level.