8th International Conference on Duckweed Research and Applications

UHPLC-MS/MS profiling and biological activities of phenolic compounds from three duckweed species for the identification of potential health-promoting biomolecules

01 ott 2026, 12:00

15m

Sala Cinese (Department of Agricultural Sciences of the University of Napoli Federico II, Portici, Italy)

Oral Applications I b — food, feed & nutrition

Description

Duckweeds have gained increasing attention as sustainable sources of bioactive compounds with promising applications in functional foods and nutraceuticals. This study comprehensively characterized the phenolic profiles of three duckweed species (Lemna minor, Lemna gibba, and Spirodela polyrhiza) using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The bioactive potential of the extracts was evaluated through in vitro antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory, anti-inflammatory and ACE-inhibitory assays to assess their functional properties. Targeted UHPLC-MS/MS analysis revealed distinct species-specific phenolic profiles, with quinic acid identified as the predominant compound in all species, particularly in L. minor (3.99 µg/mg extract DM), followed by L. gibba (2.31 µg/mg extract DM) and S. polyrhiza (1.64 µg/mg extract DM). S. polyrhiza exhibited a characteristic flavonoid-rich profile, with markedly higher concentrations of luteolin-7-O-glucoside (2.11 µg/mg extract DM) and vitexin (2.13 µg/mg extract DM) compared with L. minor (0.47 and 0.20 µg/mg extract DM, respectively) and L. gibba (0.12 and 0.10 µg/mg extract DM, respectively). Apigenin was detected exclusively in S. polyrhiza, whereas caffeic acid was most abundant in L. gibba (0.49 µg/mg extract DM). Among the three species, L. minor demonstrated the highest total phenolic content (23.54 mg GAE/g DW), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP; 43.55 mmol Fe²⁺/g DW). Principal component analysis revealed strong associations between specific phenolic constituents and measured biological activities, suggesting that species-specific phenolic profiles contribute to the functional properties of duckweed extracts. These findings highlight duckweed as a promising sustainable source of phenolic compounds with potential applications as functional food ingredients and health-promoting nutraceuticals.

Keywords

Duckweed, bioactive compounds, phenolic compounds

References

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