Climate Variables of the Sites of Origin and Genotype Influence on Phenolic Compounds Accumulation in Cultivars of Myrtus communis L.

Abstract

Myrtle (Myrtus communis L.) is an aromatic and medicinal plant spreading in the Mediterranean area. The main uses of myrtle plants are liqueur and essential oil production with several biological properties. A large part of the properties of these products is due to phenolic compounds. Twenty-two myrtle cultivars originating from several areas of Sardinia Island and cultivated at the same site were analysed for phenolic compounds determination. Pearson’s correlation was used to investigate a possible correlation between phenolic compounds content observed in the cultivation site and historical agrometeorological parameters in the sites of cultivar origin. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) were applied to data to evaluate the characterization of myrtle cultivars based on the relationship between sites of origin with their climate traits and phenolic compounds content as recorded in the same field of comparison. Anthocyanins are negatively correlated with minimum, maximum, and average temperatures of some months. Total phenols content decreases with high temperatures in the summer months. Rainfall affected mainly tannins content. Two principal components explained about 79% of the variability and allowed the classification of cultivars into four groups, while cultivars from Laconi, Siniscola and Cuglieri sites were not included in any group. The HCA allowed the subdivision of the wild populations into three clusters.

Unveiling the Chemical Profiling Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Algerian Myrtus communis L. Essential Oils, and Exploring Molecular Docking to Predict the Inhibitory Compounds against Cyclooxygenase-2

“…Thus, the remarkable fluctuations in the EO yield and variability in its chemical composition, even among the same specimens, could be due to the distillation method and analysis conditions [27], or many extrinsic factors like temperature and rainfall [53], the geographic source of the species and the season of harvest [52,54], the stage of ripening, storage conditions of the sample (exposure to light, relative humidity, etc. ), and genetic and growth factors [53,55,56].…”

Calafate (Berberis microphylla G. Forst) Populations from Chilean Patagonia Exhibit Similar Structuring at the Genetic and Metabolic Levels

“…There are antecedents that correlate with the biosynthesis of phenolic compounds, especially flavonoid and non-flavonoid groups, as a response to stress signals such as nutrient deficiency or pathogenic aggression, which affects the synthesis and accumulation of these compounds [10,11]. It is also known that plants can adapt to changes in environmental conditions [12], which could also affect the expression of secondary metabolites. These antecedents allow for hypothesizing that there are differences in the phenolic compound profiles and composition of calafate fruits, according to their geographical origin.…”