Phytochemical Screening of the Different Cultivars of Ixora Flowers by Non-Destructive, Label-Free, and Rapid Spectroscopic Techniques

Abstract

Ixora flowers of different cultivars are widely grown for their esthetic values as they have bright, abundant, and beautiful inflorescence. A derivative of plant origin, especially flowers, possesses a broad spectrum of biological activities; therefore, it is important to explore current techniques and protocols for the isolation, identification, and characterization of these substances. This study explores the utility of nondestructive spectroscopic probes for monitoring the composition and bioprocess in ixora flowers. The various cultivars of ixora flowers having dark red, dark pink, light pink, peach, orange, and yellow flowers have been collected, and their absorption, fluorescence, and scattering spectral signatures have been acquired using ultraviolet-visible, laser-induced fluorescence and confocal micro Raman spectroscopy. The pre-processing and spectral analysis reveal that biochemicals present in dark red, dark pink, light pink, orange, and peach ixora flowers include flavonoids, phenolic compounds, anthocyanins, and carotenoids of varying concentrations, while the yellow flowers are abundant in carotenoids. The spectral signatures obtained in this study open new avenues for monitoring the substances of plant origin in a nondestructive, rapid, robust, and sensitive way without high operational costs.