Phenolic acid content and composition of eggplant fruit in a germplasm core subset
2003
Stommel, John R. | Whitaker, Bruce D.
A number of potential health promoting effects have been ascribed to plant phenolic phytochemicals. We report here a first evaluation of phenolic acid constituents in eggplant fruit from accessions in the USDA eggplant core subset. The core subset includes 101 accessions of the cultivated eggplant, S. melongena, and 14 accessions representing four related eggplant species, S. aethiopicum, S. anguivi, S. incanum, and S. macrocarpon. Significant differences in phenolic acid content and composition were evident among the five eggplant species and among genotypes within species. Fourteen compounds separated by HPLC, that were present in many but not all accessions, were identified as phenolic acids based on HPLC elution times, UV absorbance spectra, ES-MS mass spectral data, and in some cases proton NMR data. These phenolics were grouped into five different classes: chlorogenic acid isomers, isochlorogenic acid isomers, unknown hydroxycinnamic acid and caffeic acid conjugates, and acetylated chlorogenic acid isomers. Total phenolic acid content in S. aethiopicum and S. macrocarpon was low relative to S. melongena. A S. anguivi accession contained the highest phenolic acid content. Chlorogenic acid isomers accounted for 96% to 63.4% of total phenolic acids in most accessions. Two atypical accessions, S. anguivi PI 319855 and S. incanum PI500922, exhibited strikingly different phenolic acid profiles. These PIs also differed from other accessions by the presence of phenolic compounds not evident in other accessions. Our findings on eggplant fruit phenolic content provide opportunities to improve eggplant fruit quality and nutritive value.
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