POLYPRENOLS IN LEAVES OF FRUIT-TREES OF ROSACEAE FAMILY

In leaves of various species of fruit-trees belonging to the Rosaceae family, large amounts of polyprenyl acetates (0.5-5.0% of dry weight) were found. Discrete constant differences of polyprenol spectrum chara cteristic of each genus studied: Malus, Prunus and Pyrus were observed . In each species poly-cis-prenols composed of 19 and 20 isoprene unit s were predominating. In one of the 23 studied species (Prunus incisa) a fraction of long-chain polyprenols composed of 35-45 isoprene units was also present. It seems that this type of unusually long-chain pol yprenols could occur also in other plants of the Rosaceae family.