The Content of Phenolic Compounds and Organic Acids in Two Tagetes patula Cultivars Flowers and Its Dependence on Light Colour and Substrate

Agnieszka Krzymińska,Barbara Frąszczak,Tomasz Kleiber,Zuzanna Magdziak,Monika Gąsecka

doi:10.3390/molecules27020527

Agnieszka Krzymińska, Barbara Frąszczak + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27020527

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Abstract

The main focus of the study was to determine the content of phenolic acids, flavonoids, and organic acids in the flowers of Tagetes patula ‘Petite Gold’ and ‘Petite Orange’. The growth of the plants was assessed depending on the cultivation conditions. The above plants were illuminated with white light, whereas the ‘Petite Gold’ ones with white light enhanced with blue or red light. Both cultivars grew in a two-level-mineral compounds organic substrate. The research showed that the French marigold flowers were rich in phenolic compounds and organic acids. The ‘Petite Gold’ flowers had more bioactive compounds compared with the ‘Petite Orange’ flowers. Three flavonoids, 10 phenolic acids and seven organic acids were found in the ‘Petite Gold’ flowers. The artificial lighting used during the cultivation of the plants showed diversified influence on the content of organic compounds in their flowers. The measurements of the plants’ morphological traits and the number of inflorescences showed that illumination with red light resulted in a better effect. Large plants with numerous inflorescences grew in the substrate with a lower content of nutrients.

Highlights

It is commonly know that flowers enhance the aesthetics of the environment
The second measurement taken after 90 days showed that the plants of the ‘Petite Orange’ cultivar growing in substrate I were taller and had greater diameters than those growing in substrate II
The analysis showed that the Tagetes patula flowers were a good and balanced source of organic acids and phenolic compounds

Summary

Introduction

Some of them are edible and can be used in two ways They increase both the decorative and nutritional value of food since they contain chemical components valuable for human health [1,2] e.g., phenolic acids, flavonoids, and tannins [2,3]. One of those valued edible flower [4] plants is the French marigold (Tagetes patula L.). Its flowers contain bioactive compounds from different groups, including carotenoids, flavonoids, triterpene, alkaloids, and saponins [5]. According to Egebjerg et al [7], both phytochemical and toxicological data are insufficient to determine the amount of flowers that can be safely consumed by humans

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