Valorization of <i>Tagetes erecta</i> L. Leaves to Obtain Polyphenol-Rich Extracts: Impact of Fertilization Practice, Phenological Plant Stage, and Extraction Strategy

Valorization of <i>Tagetes erecta</i> L. Leaves to Obtain Polyphenol-Rich Extracts: Impact of Fertilization Practice, Phenological Plant Stage, and Extraction Strategy

<i>Tagetes erecta</i> L. is an ornamental crop known for its medicinal qualities. Large amounts of waste are produced in the commercial usage of <i>T. erecta</i> flowers, including leaves that could be used to develop new eco-friendly phenolic extracts with additional value f...

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Main Authors: Narda Mejía-Resendiz, Martha-Estrella García-Pérez, Gina Rosalinda De Nicola, Noé Aguilar-Rivera, Emma-Gloria Ramos-Ramírez, María Galindo, Miguel Avalos-Viveros, José-Juan Virgen-Ortiz
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Agronomy
Subjects:
phenolic compounds
residues
optimization
extraction
flavonoids
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/6/1444
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Summary:<i>Tagetes erecta</i> L. is an ornamental crop known for its medicinal qualities. Large amounts of waste are produced in the commercial usage of <i>T. erecta</i> flowers, including leaves that could be used to develop new eco-friendly phenolic extracts with additional value for the food industry. To maximize the phenol content in the leaf extracts, this study used a Box–Behnken design with Response Surface Methodology, considering three extraction methods (Soxhlet distillation, heat, and vacuum-assisted extraction), three cropping practices (without fertilizer, chemical fertilizer, and vermicompost), and three phenological stages (plants without buds, with buds, and in flower). Extracts from plants fertilized with vermicompost (<i>Eisenia foetida</i>, 10 t ha<sup>−1</sup>), collected during the blossoming stage and extracted via Soxhlet distillation, exhibited the highest phenol content (25.66 mg GAE/g). Further chemical characterization of the optimized extract (UV-Vis, UV-fluorescence, FTIR, GC-MS, HPLC) confirmed the occurrence of polyphenols in the extract, including quercetin, chlorogenic, gallic, p-coumaric, 3-hydroxycinnamic, and caffeic acids. This underscores the significance of <i>T. erecta</i> leaf residues as a valuable source of bioactive molecules, highlighting the importance of integrating agricultural practices and chemical extraction methods to enhance the phenolic content in leaf extracts from this species.
ISSN:2073-4395

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