Changes in the Phytochemical Profile and Antioxidant Properties of Prunus persica Fruits after the Application of a Commercial Biostimulant Based on Seaweed and Yeast Extract

Abstract

Plant biostimulants are formulations that are experiencing great success from the perspective of sustainable agriculture. In this work, we evaluated the effect derived from the application of a biostimulant based on algae and yeast extracts (Expando®) on the agronomic yield and nutraceutical profile of two different cultivars (“Sugar Time” and “West Rose”) of Prunus persica (peach). Although, at the agronomic level, significant effects on production yields were not recorded, the biostimulant was able to reduce the ripening time, increase the fruit size, and make the number of harvestable fruits homogeneous. From a nutraceutical point of view, our determinations via spectrophotometric (UV/Vis) and chromatographic (HPLC-DAD-MS/MS) analysis showed that the biostimulant was able to boost the content of bioactive compounds in both the pulp (5.0 L/ha: +17%; 4.0 L/ha: +12%; 2.5 L/ha: +11%) and skin (4.0 L/ha: +38%; 2.5 L/ha: +15%). These changes seem to follow a dose-dependent effect, also producing attractive effects on the antioxidant properties of the fruits harvested from the treated trees. In conclusion, the biostimulant investigated in this work proved to be able to produce more marketable fruit in a shorter time, both from a pomological and a functional point of view.

Biological Activity and Metabolomics of Griffonia simplicifolia Seeds Extracted with Different Methodologies

“…The total polyphenol content (TPC) was quantified as previously described [ 14 ]. Briefly, 20 μL of each extract were incubated with an equal amount of Folin–Ciocâlteu reagent, 10 μL of 20% ( w / v ) Na 2 CO 3 and 150 μL of deionized water (dH 2 O) in a 96-well plate.…”

“…Subsequently, 20 μL of appropriately diluted samples were combined with 180 μL of ABTS + in a 96-well plate. Following a 5 min incubation period, the reduction in color of the resulting mixture was assessed by measuring the absorbance at the identical wavelength [ 14 ]. A calibration curve of 6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic acid (Trolox) (VWR International, Milan, Italy) was employed to determine the radical scavenging activity, and expressing data as mmol of Trolox equivalent (TE) 100 g −1 of FW of fresh weight (FW).…”

“…Evaluation of Antiproliferative Activity 2.8.1. Cell Culture HeLa (human cervical cancer), HepG2 (human hepatocarcinoma) and MCF-7 (human breast adenocarcinoma) cells were obtained from the American Type Culture Collection (Rockville, MD, USA) and cultured in Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI) as previously described [14]. Before performing experiments, the cells were trypsinized approximately between 75-85% of their confluence, and exponentially growing cells were used for the evaluation of antiproliferative activity.…”

Valorization of Peach By-Products: Utilizing Them as Valuable Resources in a Circular Economy Model

“…Mannino et al [17] utilized untargeted analysis methodologies (HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS) to identify 37 different phytochemicals in hydroalcoholic extracts of the peel from two peach varieties, as presented in Table 2. In research conducted by Patra and Baek [21], the composition of peach peels was examined, confirming the presence of several components, including chlorogenic acid, epicatechin, cyanidin-3-glycoside, catechin, and rutin.…”

Application of Seaweed Generates Changes in the Substrate and Stimulates the Growth of Tomato Plants

“…In addition, such a strategy allows for increasing biomass production as well as improves the nutraceutical quality of plant food [ 6 ]. The application of a plant biostimulant based on seaweed extract increased tomato fruit nutritional quality [ 7 ], and consequently enhanced the bioactive compounds in plant food matrices [ 8 , 9 ]. Seaweed extract application enhanced nutritional quality through direct plant provision of both macro- and micronutrients [ 4 ].…”