PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE AS CHEMOTAXONOMIC MARKERS IN THE CUCURBITACEAE SPECIES CULTIVATED IN IRAQ

Abstract

The concentration of phenolic compounds is researchable using chemotaxonomy as a valuable approach to studying the pharmacological potential of different crop plants. In line with this, the objective of the constructive study was to investigate the phenolic compounds concentration in 10 taxa belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae, earlier cultivated in mid-February 2021 at the College of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Mosul, Mosul, Iraq. The taxa included Cucurbita pepo Linnaeus, Cucurbita maxima Duchesne, Lagenaria siceraria L.C.V. Local Molina, Lagenaria siceraria L.C.V. Syria Molina, Cucumis sativus Linnaeus, Cucumis melo Linnaeus, Cucumis melo flexuosus Linnaeus, Citrullus lanatus (Thumberg) Matsum and Nakai, Citrullus colocynthis Schrader, and Luffa cylindrica Mill. Analyzing these compounds helped to gain a deeper understanding of the chemical composition of these plants, which may contribute to identifying their medicinal properties and potential applications in the field of pharmacology. The analysis of leaves of these taxa ran through high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for 14 phenolic compounds, i.e., Apigenin, Catechin, Epicatechin, Kaempferol, Luteolin, Quercetin, Rutin, and Caffeic, Chlorogenic, Ferulic, Gallic, Hydroxy benzoic, P-coumaric, and Vanillic acids. A comprehensive study analyzed 10 taxa belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae using HPLC, revealing their heterogeneity and significant variations in the content and concentration of various phenolic compounds. The results of this analysis unveiled the identification of 14 compounds, primarily relying on the presence of standard material. Notably, the main component observed in this study was caffeic acid, showcasing its potential utility for taxonomists and pharmacologists and addressing diverse taxonomic challenges. These findings hold promising implications for the field, offering valuable insights into the intricate world of Cucurbitaceae and opening avenues for further research and application. Results further confirmed that the leaves of Cucurbitaceae plants are rich sources of nutrients and can significantly contribute to nutrient requirements and human health care.