Phenolic compounds profiling of nine dogwood species (Cornus L.) leaves

This study analysed the phenolic compound profile in the leaves of nine Cornus species (C. alba, C. amomum, C. sericea var. baileyi, C. florida, C. kousa, C. mas, C. officinalis, C. coreana, and C. racemosa) to evaluate their potential as stable sources of bioactive compounds. The main phenolic acids (gallic, ellagic and chlorogenic acids) and flavonoids were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD). Among the phenolic acids, C. mas and C. officinalis contained the highest levels of chlorogenic acid, while C. coreana totally lacked this compound. Notably, the chlorogenic acid concentration in C. mas also exceeded previously reported values for other plant parts. The highest ellagic acid content was found in C. sericea var. baileyi, while the lowest was observed in C. racemosa. C. coreana showed the highest concentration of gallic acid. Flavonoid analysis revealed that quercetin-3-O-galactoside was present in all species studied, with the highest levels in C. racemosa and the lowest in C. florida. Quercetin-3-O-glucoside was abundant in C. kousa but absent in C. mas. Quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside was detected in significant amounts only in C. racemosa and C. amomum. Among the kaempferol derivatives, kaempferol-3-O-glucoside was the most abundant, with the highest concentration in C. coreana. Furthermore, C. racemosa and C. amomum were the richest sources of quercetin, while C. coreana was particularly rich in kaempferol. These results highlight the diverse phenolic profiles of Cornus species and their potential as valuable sources of bioactive compounds.