Influence of Harvest Time on the Chemical Profile of Pereskia aculeate Mill. Using Paper Spray Mass Spectrometry

Abstract

This study evaluated the physicochemical characteristics and the production of bioactive compounds of Pereskia aculeata Mill. at different harvest times. Here, we performed a qualitative evaluation of the chemical profile by paper spray mass spectrometry (PSMS), the phenolic acid and flavonoid profile by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), antioxidant activity, total carotenoids, total phenolic compounds, total flavonoids, total anthocyanins, color characteristics, total soluble solids (TSS), total solids (TS), pH, and total titratable acidity (TTA). The chemical profile was not affected, with the exception of 4,5-dimethyl-2,6-octadiene and azelaic acid, which was only identified in the leaves harvested during the winter. The content of four phenolic acids and three flavonoids were analyzed; out of these, no significant amounts of ellagic acid and quercetin were detected. There was no difference in production of bioactive compounds between seasons, reflecting the antioxidant activity, which also did not differ. Brightness, chroma, and leaf pH were the only physicochemical characteristics that did not vary between seasons.

Applications of ambient ionization mass spectrometry in 2022: An annual review

“…102 The authors were able to rapidly differentiate between healthy and diseased oranges, demonstrating the potential to use AIMS for rapid health monitoring of agricultural products. Other studies have used PS-MS to study the effects of harvest time on the chemical composition of plant products, 103 DESI to image the distribution of target compounds in developing soybean seeds 104 and metabolites in traditional herbal medicine plants, 105,106 ASAP to chemically characterize different orange varieties, 107 CBS to study pesticides on fruit, 108 and air flow-assisted ionization MS imaging to study the distribution of metabolites in different regions of the mango fruit. 109…”