Planta Med 2014; 80 - LP73
DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1395109

Organic fertilization increases content of flavonoids in Calendula officinalis

M Fonseca 1, M Moreira 2, A Marques 1, R Dores 3, M Sediyama 1, I Araujo 1, 2, P Silva 1, 2
  • 1Empresa de Pesquisa Agropecuária de Minas Gerais, Vila Gianetti 46, 36570 – 000, Viçosa, MG, Brazil
  • 2Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570 – 000, Viçosa, MG, Brazil
  • 3Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Rua Três, Campus Morro do Cruzeiro, Bauxita, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil

The use of organic fertilizer for medicinal plants cultivation is an alternative to improve phytochemical quality. Among medicinal species, marigold (Calendula officinalis) is favored by high soil organic matter to produce flowers [1]. We evaluate the effect of doses of cattle manure on the content of flavonoids in marigold flowers. The experiment was carried out in Oratórios, Minas Gerais, Brazil, from April to August 2013. We used a randomized block design with four replications. Five doses of cattle manure were used: 0, 30, 60, 90 or 120 t ha-1. Seedings were transplanted for the experimental area and growth in spacing of 0.4 × 0.4 m. The dry cattle manure had these characteristics (%): N = 1.02; P = 0.3; K = 0.64; Ca = 0.65; Mg = 0.27; S = 0.25 and organic carbon = 14.8. Flowers were harvest between 60 and 120 days after transplanting and were dried at 40 ° C. Thereon, the flavonoids were quantificated by spectrophotometry [2] after reaction between vanillin chloric and flowers ethanolic extract. The relationship between flavonoids content and the doses of cattle manure was best described by a quadratic equation (Y = 299.8 + 7.25667 x – 0.04944 x2, R2= 0.8841). According to this equation the doses of 73.4 t ha-1 maximized the flavonoids content in marigold.

Acknowledgements: FAPEMIG and CNPq by supported.

Keywords: medicinal plant, organic cultivation, flavonoids

References:

[1] Montari Júnior, I. et al. Aspectos do cultivo comercial de calêndula. Campinas: Centro Pluridisciplinar de Pesquisas Químicas, Biológicas e Agrícolas – Universidade Estadual de Campinas; 2000: 38 p.

[2] Jayaprakasha, G.K., Singh, R.P., Sakariah, K.K. Antioxidant activity of grape seed (Vitis vinifera) extracts on peroxidation models in vitro. Food Chemistry 2001; 73: 285 – 290.