Abstract
Variations in the concentrations of plant secondary metabolites can occur due to the phenological stages of the plants, combined with environmental variations. Plants rich in tannins are used in folk medicine for different purposes. Xylopia emarginata Mart. (Anonaceae)-“Pindaíba” has been used to treat skin edema, bronchitis and malaria. We evaluated variations in condensed tannin (CTs) contents in relation to phenological variables in leaves of Xylopia emarginata during one year. The study took place in a Vereda in northern Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Monthly phenological observations as well as quantifications of the contents of condensed leaf tannins in ethanol and aqueous extracts were performed. The production of X. emarginata leaves occurred throughout the study, with greater budding and leaf fall in the dry season. Phenological observations were correlated with CT levels and climatic data of precipitation and temperature. There was a significant correlation (p < 0.05) between fruiting and CT levels in the extracts, which were higher during the dry season, 13.2% in the ethanol extract and 7.8% in the aqueous extract.
Highlights
Phenology can be defined as the study of the occurrence of vegetative and reproductive events of a species (Lieth, 1974), being an indicator of the ecosystem’s response to climate change (Andrew et al, 2013, Abernethy et al, 2018)
It was observed that the production of X. emarginata leaves occurred throughout the study, with greater budding and leaf fall in the dry season
3.2 Condensed Tannin Content in X. emarginata Leaves During the experimental period, variations in the condensed tannin (CT) levels obtained from the leaves of X. emarginata were observed for the different extraction methods
Summary
Phenology can be defined as the study of the occurrence of vegetative and reproductive events of a species (Lieth, 1974), being an indicator of the ecosystem’s response to climate change (Andrew et al, 2013, Abernethy et al, 2018). The influence of seasonality for plant growth and performance has been the subject of research to elucidate how phenology responds to environmental factors (Chuine & Regniere, 2017). Studies indicate that substance concentrations are influenced by plant phenological stages and environmental factors such as precipitation and temperature (Pirbalouti et al, 2013; Djerrad et al, 2015; Pretti et al, 2018). Existing data indicate that climatic differences in precipitation and temperature are directly related to the phenological cycles of plants, and alter the levels of production of secondary metabolites (Simón, 1999; Ma et al, 2003)
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