Metabolite profiling of wild underutilized raspberry (Rubus pyrifolius)

Abstract

Rubus pyrifolius J.E. Smith, one of the Rubus species, has been found in Indonesia and collected in the Cibodas Botanical Garden. Rubus species are known for their diverse triterpenes, each with unique biological functions. This research aimed to analyse the metabolite profiles of R. pyrifolius using n-hexane and methanol solvents. GC-MS analysis was used to identify volatile and semi-volatile compounds in the R. pyrifolius extracts, with compound identification based on NIST 17 through GC/MS mass spectra analysis. The results showed that the total number of identified phytochemical compounds in methanol and n-hexane extracts of R. pyrifolius were 115 and 174, respectively. Methanol extracts from R. pyrifolius flower, young leaf, mature leaf, and young stem exhibited 46, 20, 15, and 34 compounds, respectively. In contrast, n-hexane extracts from R. pyrifolius flower, young leaf, mature leaf, and young stem contained 35, 47, 29, and 63 compounds, respectively. These compounds were classified into seven phytochemical groups: alkanes, alkenes, cyclic ethers, diterpenes, fatty acids, triterpenes, and vitamin E. Furthermore, only carboxylic esters, ergosterols, esters, fatty alcohols, and phenols were found in n-hexane extracts. The methanol extract showed seven significant phytochemical groups, including linolenic acid, phthalate esters, phytol, phytosterol, sterol lipids, terpenoids, and triterpenoids. R. pyrifolius possesses a variety of bioactive phytochemical profiles that are relevant in the field of phytopharmaceuticals. Nevertheless, further research is essential to determine their biological activity.