title: The higher the better? Differences in phenolics and cyanogenic glycosides in Sambucus nigra leaves, flowers and berries from different altitudes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.) possesses high antioxidant activity and has been used to treat numerous medicinal disorders. In addition to their antioxidant properties, elderberry parts accumulate toxic cyanogenic glycosides (CGG). It has been proven that altitude influences the biosynthesis of many secondary metabolites. In the present study we investigated the change of phenolics and CGG in elder leaves, flowers, and berries induced by different altitudes and locations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The data indicate that the accumulation of CGG and phenolics is affected by the altitude of the growing site. An increase of anthocyanin content was recorded in elder berries collected at higher elevations in both locations. Fruit collected at the foothills of location 2 contained 3343 µg g-1anthocyanins as opposed to fruit from the hilltop, which contained 7729 µg g-1. Elder berries contained the lowest levels of harmful CGG compared to other analysed plant parts. However, more cyanogenic glycosides were always present in plant parts collected at the hilltop. Accordingly, berries accumulated 0.11 µg g-1CGG at the foothills and 0.59 µg g-1CGG at the hilltop.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elder berries and flowers collected at the foothill were characterised by the lowest levels of both beneficial (phenolics) and harmful compounds (CGG) and are suitable for moderate consumption. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.
authors.affiliation: Chair for Fruit Growing, Viticulture and Vegetable Growing, Department of Agronomy, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Mateja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Senica
authors.affiliation: Chair for Fruit Growing, Viticulture and Vegetable Growing, Department of Agronomy, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Franci
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Stampar
authors.affiliation: Chair for Fruit Growing, Viticulture and Vegetable Growing, Department of Agronomy, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Veberic
authors.affiliation: Chair for Fruit Growing, Viticulture and Vegetable Growing, Department of Agronomy, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mikulic-Petkovsek
mesh_terms: D000531:Altitude; D000872:Anthocyanins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D035264:Flowers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D006027:Glycosides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D010636:Phenols / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D027924:Sambucus nigra / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000872:Anthocyanins; D006027:Glycosides; D010636:Phenols; D010936:Plant Extracts; C007173:cyanogenic glycosides
keywords: altitude; elderberry parts; phenolics; sambunigrin