GC-MS analyses of flower ether extracts of Prunus domestica L. and Prunus padus L. (Rosaceae)

Volatiles of fresh flowers of Prunus domestica L. and Prunus padus L. (their diethyl ether extracts) were analyzed by GC and GC-MS. 110 and 33 constituents were identified in P. domestica and P. padus extracts, respectively. 32 of the identified constituents were previously unreported as metabolites of taxa belonging to the genus Prunus. Six of them (4-methoxybenzyl palmitate, isoamyl stearate, isoamyl eicosanoate, isoamyl docosanoate and penta-O-acetyl-alpha- and beta-D-glucopyranoses) are compounds reported for the first time from a natural source and one (isoamyl tetracosanoate) is a new compound in general. The major component of P. domestica extract was kaempferol (35.0 %), while P. padus extract was found to be rich in (Z)-8-hydroxylinalool (30.4 %), benzaldehyde (19.8 %) and 2-phenylethanol (15.1 %). Both extracts (P. domestica and P. padus) contained rather large amounts of shikimate metabolites (51.7 % and 39.1 %, respectively) and anther related odd-carbon numbered alkanes (23.2 % and 27.0 %, respectively). The observed differences between P. domestica and P. padus extracts corroborate the placement of P. domestica and P. padus in separate subgenera (Prunus and Cerasus, respectively) of the genus Prunus.