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Comparative Profile of Secondary Metabolites in Stem and Leaf of Pot Marigold (Calendula officinalis L.)
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Elahe Tavakol   , Mahshid Bahmanyar , Fabrizio Araniti , Mohammadtaghi Golmakani |
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Abstract: (38 Views) |
Pot marigold (Calendula officinalis L.) is widely valued not only as an ornamental plant but also for its extensive therapeutic applications in traditional medicine and the pharmaceutical industry. Different organs of the plant contain diverse secondary metabolites with distinct compositions and concentrations, contributing to their broad pharmacological potential. Although numerous studies have investigated the metabolic composition of pot marigold flowers, limited information is available regarding the other aerial vegetative organs. Therefore, the present study aimed to identify and compare the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in leaf and stem tissues to evaluate their potential as source of pharmacologically valuable compounds. Plants were grown under greenhouse conditions in a completely randomized design with three replications, and VOCs were analyzed using headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS). A total of 173 VOCs including terpenes and terpenoids, aldehydes, aromatic compounds, fatty acid esters, hydrocarbons, and ketones were identified across both tissues. Comparative analysis revealed 73 and 75 tissue-specific metabolites in the leaves and stems, respectively, whereas only 25 metabolites were common to both tissues. Multivariate analyses, including principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), demonstrated a clear tissue-dependent separation, with the first principal component explaining over 98% of the total variance. Further analysis of tissue-specific metabolite accumulation showed that β -Pinene, Methyl salicylate, Benzaldehyde, and Caryophyllene were more r abundant in leaves, whereas Thymol, α -Caryophyllene, Heptanal, and δ -Selinene were predominantly accumulated in stems. Correlation network analysis revealed that β -Myrcene and β -Pinene exhibited strong positive correlations with other terpenes in leaves, while Thymol and α -Caryophyllene formed a coordinated network with stem-specific metabolites in stems. These findings demonstrate that leaves and stems possess diverse and valuable secondary metabolites with distinct tissue-specific metabolic organizations. Characterization of these metabolic profiles provides a scientific basis for the targeted extraction of bioactive compounds for the development of pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, while promoting the value of C. officinalis through the utilization of under-exploited vegetative organs and the reduction of plant waste.
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| Keywords: VOCs, HS-SPME-GC-MS, Metabolomics |
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Medicinal plants
Received: 2026/07/16 | Accepted: 2026/10/6 | Published: 2026/10/13
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