Influence of Abiotic Environmental Factors on the Accumulation of Phenolic Metabolites of Dasiphora fruticosa

The composition and content of phenolic compounds in the leaves of Dasiphora fruticosa growing in the Far East and Southern and Eastern Siberia in the range of 43°13′–62°52′ N has been studied. The phenolic complex of D. fruticosa is composed of 16–22 components and remains constant. Its variation is caused mainly by minor components. Seven flavonol glycosides (hyperoside, isoquercitrin, rutin, avicularin, quercitrin, astragalin, and kaempferol-rutinoside), two aglycones (quercetin and kaempferol), and ellagic acid and its glycoside have been found using HPLC and UV spectrometry. The total content of phenolic compounds in plant leaves ranges from 13.5 to 28.3 mg/g, the content of quercetin glycosides ranges from 4.8 to 17.3 mg/g, and the content of kaempferol glycosides ranges from 0.1 to 1.3 mg/g. The total content of ellagic tannins in the leaves varies from 6.9 to 12.9 mg/g. It is found that the content of all individual components increases except for avicularin (which, on the contrary, decreases) as D. fruticosa moved from south to north with insolation on the background of low-temperature stress and drought. It is shown that the content of phenolic compounds (in total and in groups) is determined by temperature (by 53–75%) and the content of flavonols by drought (50–91%) and solar radiation (50–54%). The accumulation of ellagic compounds in leaves of D. fruticosa is 60% determined by temperature; other factors are of low importance. Air temperature, drought, and UV radiation make a significant contribution to the accumulation of phenolic compounds in D. fruticosa.