PRECURSORS OF ANTIFUNGAL SUBSTANCES FROM CHERRY LEAVES (PRUNUS-YEDOENSIS MATSUMURA)

A glycosidic fraction was extracted from fresh cherry leaves and treated with commercial beta-glucosidase and the acetone powder from cherry leaves, After enzymatic hydrolysis, the formation of moderately antifungal benzaldehyde, benzyl alcohol, 2-phenylethanol and coumarin was confirmed by GLC and GC-MS. Thus, it was expected that the precursors of antifungal substances existed as glycosides in the leaves and would be hydrolyzed by the endogenous hydrolytic enzymes when the leaves were damaged, A survey of the constituents in the glycosidic fraction revealed the presence of benzyl beta-D-glucoside and 2-phenylethyl beta-D-glucoside, and of mandelonitrile beta-D-glucosides, sambunigrin and prunasin.