STUDIES ON WATER-SOLUBLE SUGAR AND SUGAR ALCOHOL IN CULTIVARS AND WILD FORMS OF LAUROCERASUS-OFFICINALIS ROEM

Water soluble sugar and sugar alcohol composition in fruits of Lauroce rasus officinalis cvs. Oxygemmis, Globigemmis and wild form of L. offi cinalis Roem., have been examined. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometr y studies exhibited that the main sugars in L. officinalis and related cultivars are fructose, glucose and sorbitol and sorbitol and mannito l as sugar alcohols. Fructose, glucose and sorbitol were in significan tly higher levels in cultivars and the wild form with highest value 74 .4% of dry weight of total water soluble sugar in Oxygemmis and the hi ghest level of sugar alcohol (42.6%) in the wild form with least in An gustifolia (19.9% of dry weight).