DETERMINATION OF FREE AMINO ACIDS IN UNDERGROUND ORGANS OF ELEUTHEROCOCCUS SENTICOSUS RUPR. ET MAXIM

A study of free amino acids in the underground organs of Eleutherococcus senticosus (Eleutherococcus senticosus Rupr. et Maxim, family Araliaceae) was carried out. The material for the study was samples of rhizomes and roots of Eleutherococcus collected in the Amur Region, Jewish Autonomous Region, Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territories. Amino acids were determined by GC-MS. According to the results of studies, from two to nine amino acids were found in the rhizomes and roots of Eleutherococcus senticosus, of which 6 are nonessential (alanine, proline, serine, glutamine, pyroglutamic acid, aspartic acid) and 3 are essential (valine, leucine, threonine). The total content of amino acids in the studied samples averaged 20.1 mg/100 g. It was revealed that the dominant group is heterocyclic amino acids, the representatives of which include proline and pyroglutamic acid. The average content of proline and pyroglutamic acid was 4.9 and 7.1 mg/100 g, respectively. Based on a comparative analysis of the amino acid composition of ten samples, it was shown that the amino acid composition of the rhizomes and roots of Eleutherococcus from different populations varies. As a result of a cluster analysis based on the content of amino acids in the studied samples, two groups are distinguished: samples from the Khabarovsk Territory - Amur Region, samples from the Primorsky Territory - Jewish Autonomous Region (Leninsky District).