Triterpenoids and steroids in Amelanchier×spicata (Lam.) K. Koch leaves and fruits: Phytochemical composition and potential benefits

Amelanchier×spicata , or dwarf serviceberry, is a deciduous shrub native to North America but invasive in parts of Northern and Central Europe, including Lithuania, Sweden and Finland. It spreads aggressively, outcompeting native vegetation. The leaves and fruits of the plant contain bioactive compounds, including triterpenoids and steroids, with potential health benefits and pharmacological properties [ 1 ] [ 2 ]. The aim of this work was to analyze the triterpenoid and steroid content in the cuticular waxes of the fruits and leaves of A.×spicata. Leaves and fruits of A.×spicata were collected in western Lithuania in July 2023. The qualitative and quantitative analyses of steroid and triterpenoid fractions were performed using an Agilent Technologies 7890A gas chromatograph (GC-MS) with a 5975C mass selective detector, equipped with a 30 m×0.25 mm i.d. HP-5MS UI column (0.25-μm film thickness), from Agilent Technologies and Perlan Technologies. The cuticular waxes of A.×spicata leaves contained the same analytes as those of the fruits; however, their concentrations differed. The cuticular waxes were dominated by ursolic acid, with levels of 2024.76 μg/g DW in leaves and 299.05 μg/g DW in fruits, respectively. Sitosterol was the main compound in leaves (697.57 μg/g DW) and fruits (248.19 μg/g DW), nearly three times higher in the leaves. The dominant compound in the neutral triterpenoid class was β-amyrin, with levels of 1039.56 μg/g DW in leaves and 38.96 μg/g DW in fruits, respectively. The higher concentration of triterpenoids in the leaves compared to the fruits, along with the distinct composition of compounds like isofucosterol in fruits and taraxerol in leaves, underscores the therapeutic potential of both plant parts. Publication History Article published online: 05 March 2026 © 2026. Thieme. All rights reserved. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Oswald-Hesse-Straße 50, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany