Increased Antioxidant Activity and Changes in Phenolic Profile of Kalanchoe pinnata (Lamarck) Persoon (Crassulaceae) Specimens Grown Under Supplemental Blue Light

• Published in: Photochemistry and photobiology Vol. 89; no. 2; pp. 391 - 399
• Main Authors: Nascimento, Luana B. S., Leal-Costa, Marcos V., Coutinho, Marcela A. S., Moreira, Nattacha dos S., Lage, Celso L. S., Barbi, Nancy dos S., Costa, Sônia S., Tavares, Eliana S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.03.2013
• Subjects: Antioxidants; Antioxidants - metabolism; Flowers & plants; Kalanchoe - metabolism; Kalanchoe - radiation effects; Light; Oxidation-Reduction; Oxidative stress; Phenols - metabolism; Photobiology; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Plant Leaves - metabolism; Plant Leaves - radiation effects; Polyphenols; Quercetin - analogs & derivatives; Quercetin - biosynthesis
• ISSN: 0031-8655; 1751-1097
• DOI: 10.1111/php.12006

Antioxidant compounds protect plants against oxidative stress caused by environmental conditions. Different light qualities, such as UV‐A radiation and blue light, have shown positive effects on the production of phenols in plants. Kalanchoe pinnata (Lamarck) Persoon (Crassulaceae) is used for treating wounds and inflammations. Some of these beneficial effects are attributed to the antioxidant activity of plant components. We investigated the effects of blue light and UV‐A radiation supplementation on the total phenol content, antioxidant activity and chromatographic profile of aqueous extracts from leaves of K. pinnata. Monoclonal plants were grown under white light, white plus blue light and white plus UV‐A radiation. Supplemental blue light improved the antioxidant activity and changed the phenolic profile of the extracts. Analysis by HPLC of supplemental blue‐light plant extracts revealed a higher proportion of the major flavonoid quercetin 3‐O‐α‐l‐arabinopyranosyl (1→2) α‐l‐rhamnopyranoside, as well as the presence of a wide variety of other phenolic substances. These findings may explain the higher antioxidant activity observed for this extract. Blue light is proposed as a supplemental light source in the cultivation of K. pinnata, to improve its antioxidant activity. This study reports a potential use of blue light as a supplemental light source in cultivation of Kalanchoe pinnata, an important medicinal species. We investigated the effects of blue and UV‐A light supplementation on the total phenol content, antioxidant activity and chromatographic profile of K. pinnata extracts. Supplemental blue light improved the antioxidant activity and changed the phenolic profile. Analysis by HPLC of supplemental blue‐light plant extracts (A) revealed a higher proportion of the major flavonoid in K. pinnata, as well as the presence of quercitrin and a wide variety of other phenolic substances, when compared with control (B).