Phenolic profile and evaluation of antimicrobial and anticancer activities of Calendula officinalis L. using exogenous polyamines application

Abstract

Polyamines (PAs) are active natural substances with multiple amino groups that are essential for numerous physiological and developmental functions in plants. This study aimed to examine the effects of foliar spraying of PAs on profiles of phenolic compounds (PCs), antimicrobial activity against clinical pathogens, and cytotoxic activity of aqueous and methanolic extracts (AEs and MEs) of pot marigold (Calendula officinalis L.) (CoL). Three different quantities of the chemicals putrescine (PUT), spermidine (SPD), and spermine (SPM) were sprayed on the plants during their four or five completely expanded leaf stages.This experiment was carried out over the course of three months, using a randomized complete design with four replications. According to evaluations of various physiochemical characteristics, the treatments significantly increased the amount of glycosylated flavonols. The study also revealed noteworthy differences in the total phenolic acid and flavonoid content. The foliar spraying with 1 mM SPD had the most significant effect compared to other PAs. Additionally, the primary flavonols, including isorhamnetin-3-O-rutinoside (narcissin) and isorhamnetin-3-O-rhamnosylrutinoside (typhaneoside), were observed in the 1 mM SPD treatment. The antimicrobial activity (MIC µg/mL) of CoL AEs and MEs towards the six pathogen strains was significantly enhanced when exogenous application of PAs was introduced. On the other hand, the findings demonstrated that the application of PAs, particularly SPD, led to significant cytotoxic activity against five tumor cell lines in the CoL MEs and AEs. These results indicate that foliar spraying of PAs may have numerous possible uses in the pharmaceutical industry as a result of their influence on antimicrobial and anticancer capacities, as well as phenolic and flavonoid compounds.