Application of multivariate analysis to assess stress by Cd, Pb and Al in basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) using caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, total phenolics, total flavonoids and total dry mass in response

DO PRADO, NADJAMA B.; DE ABREU, CLAUDIA B.; PINHO, CYNDI S.; JUNIOR, MANOEL M. DE N.; SILVA, MARIANA D.; ESPINO, MAGDALENA; SILVA, MARIA F.; DIAS, FABIO DE S.

FOOD CHEMISTRY

ELSEVIER SCI LTD

Año: 2022 vol. 367

0308-8146

Basil is an edible, aromatic plant, which makes the study of the ecotoxicity of metals in plant metabolismrelevant. Given the above, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of metals, aluminum, lead, andcadmium, in the synthesis of phenolic compounds and in the dry mass of basil plants (O. basilicum L.) grown in ahydroponic system. The plants were subjected to four different concentrations of cadmium (0.2, 0.6, 1.2, and 1.8mmol L-1), lead and aluminum (0.04, 0.08, 0.12, and 0.16 mmol L-1), and compared with the control. Afterdesiccation of the plant material, the total dry mass was obtained and then, hydroethanolic extracts (43%distilled water and 57% ethanol) were made for biochemical analyzes, which consisted of the determination ofcaffeic acid (CA) and rosmarinic acid (RA) by high performance liquid chromatography analysis with a diodedetector (HPLC-DAD); total phenolics (TP) and total flavonoids (TF) by spectrophotometry. The data weresubmitted to analysis of variance and multivariate analysis (principal component analysis-PCA and hierarchicalcluster analysis-HCA) was applied for data association. The phenolic compounds showed a high positive correlationwith each other, and the total dry mass showed low and negative correlations with the analyzed variables.The results showed that the metals aluminum, lead, and cadmium promoted a stress condition in basilplants, which resulted in the reduction of the dry matter mass and an increase in the synthesis of phenoliccompounds, according to the type and concentration of the metal.