COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE MAGNIFICATION OF CAROTENOIDS IN NEEDLES

Abstract

Considering the role of carotenoids in the physiological processes, an urgent issue for the modern pharmaceutical science is providing preventive medicines based on these elements. In this connection it is interesting to study the carotenoid content in the needles of various representatives of alien and native conifers in Primorsky region. Methods. To assess the conifers’ biological potential in terms of the source of carotenoids the authors studied the annual dynamics in magnification of these pigments in the two-year needles of 17 conifers growing in the arboretum at Gornotaezhnaya station of FEB RAS. The number of carotenoids was determined by spectrophotometry. Results. Analysis of the magnification of carotenoids in the two-year needles of native species allows to select the conifers with high content of the researched pigment: Japanese red pine - 0.32 mg/g, Korean pine - 0.29 mg/g, Labrador pine - 0.29 mg/g, Colorado spruce - 0.28 mg/g, needle fir, Siberian cedar, Koyama spruce, Ajan spruce - 0.27 mg/g of green weight each. Conclusions. The data received expand understanding of the carotenoids synthesis of conifers as well as possibilities of using needles as an additional source of vitamins, food supplements and colorings.