Composition of tocochromanols in the kernels recovered from plum pits: the impact of the varieties and species on the potential utility value for industrial application

The profile of tocopherol (T) and tocotrienol (T3) homologues in kernels recovered from 28 various plum varieties of hexaploid species Prunus domestica L. and diploid plums Prunus cerasifera Ehrh. and its crossbreeds were studied. One tocotrienol (α-T3) and four tocopherol homologues (α, β, γ and δ) were determined in all studied samples by an RP-HPLC/FLD method. The concentration of tocochromanols varied considerably in kernels of different plum varieties and amounted, respectively: 3.55–11.84 (α-T), 0.01–0.13 (β-T), 30.58–73.63 (γ-T), 0.71–4.04 (δ-T), 0.24–1.47 mg/100 g dw (α-T3). The total content of tocochromanols was recorded in the range 36.86–83.38 mg/100 g dw. The average percentage of individual tocochromanols detected in the plum kernels was as follows: α-T (11.6 %), β-T (0.1 %), γ-T (83.6 %), δ-T (3.5 %) and α-T3 (1.2 %). Concentration of tocopherol homologues and α-T3 in kernels of the diploid plums P. cerasifera and its crossbreeds were on average ~20 % lower, with the exception of δ-T (50 % lower), in comparison with the P. domestica. The principal component analysis allowed to classify the tested samples in two main groups and several outliers.