Assessment of the <i>N</i>-Alkylamide Content and Volatile Profiles in Two Cultivars of <i>Acmella oleracea</i> (L.) R.K. Jansen Grown in Aquaponics

<i>Acmella oleracea</i> (L.) R.K. Jansen, also called jambù, is a medicinal and aromatic plant native to the Brazilian Amazon rainforest and phytochemically characterized by <i>N</i>-alkylamides with spilanthol as the main active compound. Jambù recently attracted the interes...

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Main Authors: Marta Ferrati, Beatrice Bartolini, Giulio Lupidi, Lorenzo Freddi, Valentina Bolletta, Marco Cespi, Rita Giovannetti, Marco Zannotti, Riccardo Petrelli, Filippo Maggi, Eleonora Spinozzi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Plants
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/9/1401
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author Marta Ferrati
Beatrice Bartolini
Giulio Lupidi
Lorenzo Freddi
Valentina Bolletta
Marco Cespi
Rita Giovannetti
Marco Zannotti
Riccardo Petrelli
Filippo Maggi
Eleonora Spinozzi
author_facet Marta Ferrati
Beatrice Bartolini
Giulio Lupidi
Lorenzo Freddi
Valentina Bolletta
Marco Cespi
Rita Giovannetti
Marco Zannotti
Riccardo Petrelli
Filippo Maggi
Eleonora Spinozzi
author_sort Marta Ferrati
collection DOAJ
description <i>Acmella oleracea</i> (L.) R.K. Jansen, also called jambù, is a medicinal and aromatic plant native to the Brazilian Amazon rainforest and phytochemically characterized by <i>N</i>-alkylamides with spilanthol as the main active compound. Jambù recently attracted the interest of many companies because of its wide range of pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmetic applications. In this context, it is desirable to identify eco-friendly cultivation methods that not only minimize the environmental footprint but also support the biosynthesis of the plant’s valuable bioactive compounds. The zero-discharge approach of aquaponics makes this growing system an eco-friendly and sustainable production strategy for crops. Thus, a greenhouse experiment was conducted on two jambù cultivars, i.e., cv ‘purple’ and cv ‘yellow’, grown in aquaponic and hydroponic systems. The objective was to compare their contents of <i>N</i>-alkylamides, their numbers of capitula, which are the main source of these bioactives, and their volatile profiles. The results highlighted differences between the two cultivars and among plants harvested at different periods. Interestingly, aquaponics yielded plants with a high <i>N</i>-alkylamide content, which was comparable to that obtained with hydroponics. Overall, this study highlighted the feasibility of adopting aquaponics to grow <i>A. oleracea</i>, paving the way for circular economy-based and sustainable agricultural practices.
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spelling doaj-art-e156602910344df9bdc8a6f590274e672025-08-20T02:31:08ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472025-05-01149140110.3390/plants14091401Assessment of the <i>N</i>-Alkylamide Content and Volatile Profiles in Two Cultivars of <i>Acmella oleracea</i> (L.) R.K. Jansen Grown in AquaponicsMarta Ferrati0Beatrice Bartolini1Giulio Lupidi2Lorenzo Freddi3Valentina Bolletta4Marco Cespi5Rita Giovannetti6Marco Zannotti7Riccardo Petrelli8Filippo Maggi9Eleonora Spinozzi10Chemistry Interdisciplinary Project (ChIP), School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Via Madonna delle Carceri, 62032 Camerino, ItalyChemistry Interdisciplinary Project (ChIP), School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Via Madonna delle Carceri, 62032 Camerino, ItalyChemistry Interdisciplinary Project (ChIP), School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Via Madonna delle Carceri, 62032 Camerino, ItalyMJ Energy srl Società Agricola, Via Lorenzoni, 100, 62100 Macerata, ItalyMJ Energy srl Società Agricola, Via Lorenzoni, 100, 62100 Macerata, ItalyChemistry Interdisciplinary Project (ChIP), School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Via Madonna delle Carceri, 62032 Camerino, ItalyChemistry Interdisciplinary Project (ChIP) Research Center, School of Science and Technology, Chemistry Division, University of Camerino, Via Madonna delle Carceri, 62032 Camerino, ItalyChemistry Interdisciplinary Project (ChIP) Research Center, School of Science and Technology, Chemistry Division, University of Camerino, Via Madonna delle Carceri, 62032 Camerino, ItalyChemistry Interdisciplinary Project (ChIP), School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Via Madonna delle Carceri, 62032 Camerino, ItalyChemistry Interdisciplinary Project (ChIP), School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Via Madonna delle Carceri, 62032 Camerino, ItalyChemistry Interdisciplinary Project (ChIP), School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Via Madonna delle Carceri, 62032 Camerino, Italy<i>Acmella oleracea</i> (L.) R.K. Jansen, also called jambù, is a medicinal and aromatic plant native to the Brazilian Amazon rainforest and phytochemically characterized by <i>N</i>-alkylamides with spilanthol as the main active compound. Jambù recently attracted the interest of many companies because of its wide range of pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmetic applications. In this context, it is desirable to identify eco-friendly cultivation methods that not only minimize the environmental footprint but also support the biosynthesis of the plant’s valuable bioactive compounds. The zero-discharge approach of aquaponics makes this growing system an eco-friendly and sustainable production strategy for crops. Thus, a greenhouse experiment was conducted on two jambù cultivars, i.e., cv ‘purple’ and cv ‘yellow’, grown in aquaponic and hydroponic systems. The objective was to compare their contents of <i>N</i>-alkylamides, their numbers of capitula, which are the main source of these bioactives, and their volatile profiles. The results highlighted differences between the two cultivars and among plants harvested at different periods. Interestingly, aquaponics yielded plants with a high <i>N</i>-alkylamide content, which was comparable to that obtained with hydroponics. Overall, this study highlighted the feasibility of adopting aquaponics to grow <i>A. oleracea</i>, paving the way for circular economy-based and sustainable agricultural practices.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/9/1401aquaponicsjambùspilantholcultivar
spellingShingle Marta Ferrati
Beatrice Bartolini
Giulio Lupidi
Lorenzo Freddi
Valentina Bolletta
Marco Cespi
Rita Giovannetti
Marco Zannotti
Riccardo Petrelli
Filippo Maggi
Eleonora Spinozzi
Assessment of the <i>N</i>-Alkylamide Content and Volatile Profiles in Two Cultivars of <i>Acmella oleracea</i> (L.) R.K. Jansen Grown in Aquaponics
Plants
aquaponics
jambù
spilanthol
cultivar
title Assessment of the <i>N</i>-Alkylamide Content and Volatile Profiles in Two Cultivars of <i>Acmella oleracea</i> (L.) R.K. Jansen Grown in Aquaponics
title_full Assessment of the <i>N</i>-Alkylamide Content and Volatile Profiles in Two Cultivars of <i>Acmella oleracea</i> (L.) R.K. Jansen Grown in Aquaponics
title_fullStr Assessment of the <i>N</i>-Alkylamide Content and Volatile Profiles in Two Cultivars of <i>Acmella oleracea</i> (L.) R.K. Jansen Grown in Aquaponics
title_full_unstemmed Assessment of the <i>N</i>-Alkylamide Content and Volatile Profiles in Two Cultivars of <i>Acmella oleracea</i> (L.) R.K. Jansen Grown in Aquaponics
title_short Assessment of the <i>N</i>-Alkylamide Content and Volatile Profiles in Two Cultivars of <i>Acmella oleracea</i> (L.) R.K. Jansen Grown in Aquaponics
title_sort assessment of the i n i alkylamide content and volatile profiles in two cultivars of i acmella oleracea i l r k jansen grown in aquaponics
topic aquaponics
jambù
spilanthol
cultivar
url https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/9/1401
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