DISTRIBUTION OF ANTHOCYANINS IN ACERACEAE LEAVES

The distribution of anthocyanins in spring sprouted and/or autumn coloured leaves of Dipteronia sinensis and Acer (119 taxa) was studied. Dipteronia contained four cyanidin glycosides: the 3-glucoside, 3-rutinoside, 3-galloylglucoside and 3,5-diglucoside. Acer contained five cyanidin glycosides: 3-glucoside, 3-rutinoside, 3-galloylglucoside, 3-galloylrutinoside and 3,5-diglucoside, two delphinidin glycosides: 3-glucoside and 3-rutinoside and three unidentified anthocyanins. Both Dipteronia and Acer contained the recently reported cyanidin 3-galloylglucoside. The anthocyanin constituents in spring leaves were more complex than those found in autumn coloured leaves: nine in spring and six in autumn. The presence/absence of the major anthocyanins in the spring sprouted leaves of 111 Acer taxa analysed were grouped into 17 distribution patterns. In the autumn the number of anthocyanin distribution patterns was found to be 11. In Acer cyanidin glycosides were found in 20 sections and delphinidin glycosides in 17 out of the 21 sections analysed. Although the distribution of anthocyanins showed no clear relations among sections, delphinidin glycosides were mainly found in sections Macrantha, Goniocarpa and Saccharina. There were no differences in the pigment constituents in the species native to different countries, such as A. rubrum in North America and A. pycnanthum in Japan, both containing the same pigments: cyanidin 3-glucoside, 3-rutinoside, 3-galloylglucoside, 3-galloylrutinoside and 3,5-diglucoside.