Organic cultivation practices enhanced antioxidant activities and secondary metabolites in giant granadilla (Passiflora quadrangularis L.)

PLoS One. 2021 Jul 26;16(7):e0255059. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255059. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Passiflora quadrangularis L. belongs to the family Passifloraceae which bears larger fruit with edible juicy mesocarp and pulp known as a good source of phytochemicals. Cultivation and plant management practices are known to influence the phytochemical compositions of agricultural produce. This study aimed to examine the influence of the cultivation practices on the antioxidant activities and secondary metabolites of the organically and conventionally grown P. quadrangularis. Findings revealed organically treated P. quadrangularis plants showed enhancement in their antioxidant properties and secondary metabolites profiles. Among the plant parts, leaves of P. quadrangularis grown organically possessed higher antioxidant activities compared to the conventional in all assays evaluated. The antioxidant activities in the edible parts of the P. quadrangularis fruit have also been enhanced through organic cultivation with significantly higher total phenolic content and DPPH in mesocarp, and the pulp showed higher total flavonoid content, DPPH and FRAP. This observation is supported by a higher level of vitamins and secondary metabolites in the samples. The secondary metabolites profile showed mesocarps were phenolic rich, the pulps were flavonoids rich while leaves showed good composition of phenolics, flavonoids and terpenoids with outstanding antioxidant activities. The common secondary metabolites for organically produced P. quadrangularis in different plant parts include 2-isopropyl-3-methoxycinnamic acid (mesocarp and pulp), myricetin isomers (pulp and leaves), and malvidin-3-O-arabinoside isomers (pulp and leaves). This study confirmed that organic cultivated P. quadrangularis possessed higher antioxidant activities contributed by its vitamins and secondary metabolites.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anthocyanins / analysis
  • Antioxidants / chemistry*
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
  • Discriminant Analysis
  • Flavonoids / analysis
  • Fruit / chemistry
  • Fruit / metabolism
  • Isomerism
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Metabolome*
  • Organic Agriculture*
  • Passiflora / chemistry*
  • Passiflora / growth & development
  • Passiflora / metabolism
  • Phenols / analysis
  • Phenols / chemistry
  • Phytochemicals / analysis
  • Plant Extracts / chemistry
  • Plant Leaves / chemistry
  • Plant Leaves / metabolism
  • Principal Component Analysis

Substances

  • Anthocyanins
  • Antioxidants
  • Flavonoids
  • Phenols
  • Phytochemicals
  • Plant Extracts
  • myricetin

Grants and funding

This study was funded by Universiti Putra Malaysia under GP-IPM/2018/9671100 and grant 6300811. In-kind contribution was received from the International Food and Water Research Centre, Waters Corporation in the form of manpower, analytical instrument, software, consumables and technical consultancy required for the metabolites profiling study.