CONTENT OF BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE SUBSTANCES IN THE ABOVEGROUND PART OF SOME ONION SPE-CIES (ALLIUM L.)

Abstract

The results of comparative study of the content of biologically active substances in the aboveground part of 11 species of perennial onions Allium aflatunense B. Fedtsch., A. altaicum Pall., A. flavum L., A. microdictyon Prokh., A. nutans L., A obliquum L., A. ramosum L., A. rosenbachianum Regel, A. schoenoprasum L., A. senescens L. var. glaucum Regel (A. senescens ssp. glaucum (Schrad.) N. Friesen), A. strictum Schrad. are presented. The freshly collected raw materials in the phase of consumer ripeness were analyzed and all indicators, except for the amount of ascorbic acid, were calculated on the mass of absolutely dry raw materials. It was established in onions a high content of dry substances (up to 25.1%), flavonols (up to 3.4%), tannins (up to 14.6%), pectin substances (up to 25.8%), sugars (up to 34.8%), ascorbic acid (up to 222.5 mg% ), carotenoids (up to 131.9 mg%); the content of catechins was insignificant, at the level of 0.04–0.15%, only in A. rosenbachianum – up to 0.56%. The contents of catechins, tannins, pectin substances in onions were determined for the first time. A high interspecific and individual variability of accumulation of biologically active substances was revealed. A. rosenbachianum, A. aflatunense, A. flavum, A. microdictyon have the greatest contents and relatively low indicators are in A. senescens var. glaucum. The species are promising for cultivation in the forest-steppe zone of Western Siberia as early vitamin-bearing plants and as a source of various biologically active compounds.