CHEMOTAXONOMICAL INVESTIGATIONS OF PRUNUS-DOMESTICA BY ISOENZYME MARKERS AND PHENOLIC-COMPOUNDS

Phenolic compounds and isoenzyme patterns of 12 cultivars of Prunus do mestica, grown at two different locations in Germany were analysed. Th e compounds were extracted from the inner bark (phloem) of 1-year-old shoots. Phenols were separated by high performance liquid chromatograp hy (HPLC), proteins and isoenzymes by isoelectric focusing. The geneti c relationship among these cultivars was studied by biochemical marker s and compared with the systematical classification, as described by H egi and Roder, based on morphological characters. Generally, biochemic al data favour Hegi's classification. Nevertheless, the introduction o f a new subspecies, as proposed by Roder, seems to be justified. It sh ould be situated between ssp. italica and ssp. oeconomica, for there a re some cultivars which do not fit in either of these subspecies. A re vised systematic, according to isoenzyme and phenolic markers, is desc ribed.