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Abstract
This study aimed at profiling the biological activities of Amaranthus caudatus cultivated on different soils in a glasshouse experiment. Five soil types namely; sandy clay loam, silty clay loam, clayey loam, loam and control (unfractionated soil) were experimentally formulated from primary particles of clay, sand and silt following the United State Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) soil triangle technique. After harvesting at pre-flowering (61 days after planting), flowering (71 days after planting) and post-flowering (91 days after planting) stages, crude extracts were obtained with water and ethanol. Total flavonoids, phenolic and proanthocyanidin contents of the extracts, as well as their biological activities, were determined using 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS), 2,2 diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl ethanol (DPPH), nitric oxide and phosphomolybdate assays. It was observed that biological activity of A. caudatus varied with soil types, stages of maturity and solvents of extraction. The highest phytochemical yield was recorded in ethanolic extracts of clayey loam harvested prior to flowering and the same trend was replicated in the antioxidant properties of the plant. For optimal biological activity, it is recommended that clayey loam soil should be used for cultivation of A. caudatus and harvest should be made near flowering to capture high phytochemical yield from the species.
Highlights
Natural compounds such as storage lipids, fragrances, essential oils, flavonoids, polyphenols, and pharmaceutics extracted from plants, have been extensively investigated for their food value and are used as precursors by cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries[1,2]
The total phenolic content was expressed as mg/g of the test samples in gallic acid equivalent (GAE) as presented in Fig. 1a below
At post-flowering, there were no significant differences in phenolic compositions of aqueous extracts derived from all soils
Summary
Natural compounds such as storage lipids, fragrances, essential oils, flavonoids, polyphenols, and pharmaceutics extracted from plants, have been extensively investigated for their food value and are used as precursors by cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries[1,2]. As part of normal cellular activity, production of free radicals results from both endogenous and exogenous reactions taking place in a biological system. Most of these free radicals are short-lived derivatives of oxygen and they possess unpaired electrons capable of existing independent of other molecules[10,11,12]. A. caudatus is an ancient crop with protein content greater than most cereals[13] It has been widely reported in the literature as an important source of bioactive compounds such as lectin, phenolics and flavonoids capable of trapping free electrons[14,15,16]. Variation in the quantity of phytochemicals and antioxidant components of the plant was investigated at various stages of harvest with a view to understanding the soil with the highest yield of bioactive compounds and at a particular growth stage
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