The presented doctoral thesis deals with so far little studied variability of secondary metabolites (hydroxycinnamic acid, flavonols, flavanones, flavanols and anthocyanins) in aqueous extracts of inflorescences and fruits of some elderberry species (Sambucus cerulea, S. nigra, S. racemosa, S. javanica) and their interspecific hybrids: S. javanica × S. nigra, JA/NI; (S. javanica × S. nigra) × S. nigra, JANI/NI; S. javanica × (S. javanica × S. nigra), JA/JANI; S. javanica × S. cerulea, JA/CER; (S. javanica × S. nigra) × S. cerulea, JANI/CER; S. cerulea × S. nigra, CER/NI; S. javanica × S. racemosa, JA/RAC; (S. javanica × S. nigra) × S. racemosa, JANI/SIB; (S. javanica × S. nigra) × cv. Black Beauty, JANI × cv. Black Beauty; ((S. javanica × S. nigra) × S. nigra) × cv. Black Beauty), JANI/NI × cv. Black Beauty. Analyses have shown big differences between some of the studied species and interspecific hybrids regarding the contents and variability of mentioned secondary metabolites in extracts of inflorescence and fruit. High contents of sugar, organic acids and phenols are found in inflorescence water (tea) extracts of the S. nigra species. The highest contents of sugar are found in interspecific hybrid JANI/CER. The highest contents of phenol compounds in inflorescence water extracts are found in S. cerulea species and in interspecific hybrids JANI × cv. Black Beauty, JANI/CER and JANI/NI. Flavanols were found in methanolic inflorescence extracts of S. cerulea and the interspecific hybrid JA/CER. Fruit extracts of S. nigra were characterised by high contents of total organic acids and phenols. Among the studied interspecific hybrids, the highest contents of organic acids were determined in fruit extracts of JANI/NI and JA/JANI. Considering the total content of all anthocyanins, the first place belonged to JA/RAC. The study showed that interspecific hybridisation had high impact on the diversification of the chemical composition and therefore it would be worthwhile to continue to use it in the future breeding programmes.
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