7th Scientific Meeting of the ATT "Exposure to Low Doses and Mixtures,

Interaction and Modulation of Effects"

Monastir 27 to 29 April 2018

Deficit irrigation effect on phenolic compounds and

antioxidant enzymes activities in peach fruits
 

Monia GUIZANI1,3 , Samia DABBOU2, Samira MATALLAH3 , Maria SERRONO4, Hichem HAJLAOUI 3, Ahmed Noureddine HELAL5, Soumaya KILANI-JAZIRI1

1Unit of Bioactive and Natural Substances and Biotechnology UR17ES49, Dentistry Faculty, University of Monastir, Tunisia, 2Dentistry Faculty, University of Monastir, Avicenne
Street, 5019 Monastir, Tunisia, 3Regional Centre of Agricultural Research (CRRA) PB 357, SidiBouzid, Tunisia, 4Department of Applied Biology, University Miguel Hernández,
Ctra. Beniel km 3.2, 03312, Orihuela, Alicante, Spain, 5Faculty of Pharmacy of Monastir

* Correspondence: Email: guizanimonia@ymail.com

 Introduction
In semi-arid regions, water supplied may be
lower than tree’s requirements

Water saving in irrigation have received

considerable attention in scientific
contributions worldwide

Water deficit causes changes in the plant

behavior, physiology and cellular mechanisms
In Prunus persica, water shortages are most
critical in some period during fruit growth
(Stage III the last stage of fruit development)

To deal with abiotic stresses, plants have

utilized various mechanisms as the production
of phenols and antioxidant enzymes
 Objective
The aim of the present work was to
investigate the effect of three different water
regimes (full irrigation (T1), continuous
water deficit (T2) and cyclic water deficit
(T3)) on the phenolic composition and
antioxidant enzymes activities in peach fruit
(Prunus persica L.)
 Material and methods

Regional Center of
Agricultural Research
(CRRA) of Sidi Bouzid

5
 T2: Continuous water
T1: Full irrigation deficit (50 % ETC T3: Cyclic water deficit
(100% ETC) continuos )
 Vegetable material

Prunus persica L..

Early cutivars
- Cultivar of season Late cultivars

Flordastar Early May Crest Rubirich O'Henry

The fruits of each cultivar were harvested at commercial ripening stage.

7
 peel and Flesh
were separated

Freeze-dried

Freeze- dried vegetal material

Extraction

spectrophotometric assay

Total phenols,
Peroxidase
Flavonoids,
Catalase
Flavonols, O-
Ascorbate peroxidase
8 diphenols
 Total phenols
Total polyphenols was determinate by the Folin-Ciocalteu
reagent according to the method described by Montedoro et
al. (1992).

The bleu color produced, whose maximum absorption at 765

nm, is proportional to the amount of polyphenols present in
the plant extracts (Ghazi and Sahraoui, 2005)
 Flavonoids
 The quantification of flavonoids was carried out by a method
adapted by Zhishen et al. (1999). The absorbance was read in
the visible at 510 nm
Total flavonols
The flavonols content was evaluated from
diluted methanolic extracts according to
the method of Romaniet al. 1996
O-diphenols

O-diphenols contents were determined

colorimetrically according to Montedoro et
al.1992.
 Catalase

240 nm

Dhindsa et al.(1981)
 Peroxidase

Chance & Maehly (1955)

 Ascorbate peroxidase

Nakano & Asada´s (1981)

 Results
Irrigation Cultivars Total Polyphenol (mg/g DW)
traitement Flesh Peel

Full irrigation Flordastar 567.30 ± 26.93 dB 907.48 ± 31.16 zX**

Early My Crest 1542.33±13.25 bB 1728.17 ± 41.47 yY**
Rubrish 807.27± 15.04 cB 2206.39 ± 37.48 xW**
O’Henry 1960.39 ± 24.36 aB 2554.56 ± 95.22 wW**
continuous Flordastar 1053.53 ± 33.67d A 1834.45 ± 77.39 yW**
water deficit Early My Crest 1615.50 ± 11.07bA 2202.75 ± 34.96 xW**
Rubrish 1164.17 ± 67.85cA 2377.18 ± 51.90 xW**
O’Henry 2300.51 ± 53.61aA 2621.79 ± 50.26 wW**
Cyclic deficit Flordastar 602.36 ± 58.56 dB 1716.24 ± 53.70 zW**
irrigation Early My Crest 1526.96± 23.84 bB 1908.25 ± 26.73 yX**
Rubrish 1148.45 ± 40.12 cA 2194.92 ± 30.46 xX
O’Henry 2258.95 ± 77.80 aA 2485.22± 94.84 wX
Irrigation Cultivars Flavonoids (mg/gDW)
traitement Flesh Peel

Full irrigation Flordastar 44.29 ±1.75 dC 66.81 ± 1.69 yY**

Early My Crest 187.47 ± 4.29 bA 350.22 ± 5.12 wW**

Rubrish 93.29 ± 8.76 cB 355.47 ± 7.42 wW**

O’Henry 353.26 ± 7.09 aB 304.05 ± 2.52 xX**
continuous Flordastar 100.57 ± 4.34 dA 296.73 ± 5.13 xX**
water deficit Early My Crest 193.30 ± 4.52 bA 151.84 ± 5.45 zX**

Rubrish 115.55 ± 10.73 cA 200.82 ± 2.85 yY**

O’Henry 356.08 ± 6.38 aAB 558.36 ± 12.64 wW**
Cyclic deficit Flordastar 67.13 ± 5.71 dB 313.25 ± 3.02 xW**
irrigation Early My Crest 181.84 ± 7.53 bA 138.14 ± 7.81 yY

Rubrish 118.30 ± 6.31 cA 308.37± 5.61 xX

O’Henry 370.54 ± 10.83 aA 567.91 ± 5.14 wW
Irrigation Cultivars Flavonols (mg/100g Dw)
traitement  
Flesh Peel
 

Full irrigation Flordastar 34.22 ± 1.82 dB 99.22 ± 0.92yX**

Early My Crest 103.24 ± 3.63 cC 116.95 ± 6.73 xX
Rubrish 89.73 ± 4.41 cC 92.57 ± 5.36yX
O’Henry 103.78 ± 7.71 bC 148.77 ± 7.79wX**
continuous water Flordastar 76.74 ± 3.82 cA 139.68 ± 1.76yW**
deficit Early My Crest 129.73 ± 0.85 bA 151.32 ± 4.61xW**
  Rubrish 128.10 ± 5.15 bA 156.87 ± 4.42xW**
O’Henry 145.32 ± 1.59 aA 177.60 ± 6.76 Ww**

Cyclic deficit Flordastar 73.96 ± 5.96 dA 79.27 ± 3.94yY

irrigation Early My Crest 124.22 ± 2.03 aB 104.21 ± 1.10xY
  Rubrish 117.02 ± 1.64 bB 160.74 ± 4.84 wW**
O’Henry 124.69 ± 7.12 aB 102.55 ± 3.97xY**
Irrigation Cultivars O-diphenol (mg/100g DW)
traitement  
Flesh Peel
 

Full irrigation Flordastar 61.53 ± 6.35 dB 71.07 ± 2.58zY

Early My Crest 128.51 ± 5.99 cB 207.04 ± 2.95yW**
Rubrish 97.17 ± 1.27 cB 254.71 ± 6.63wW**
O’Henry 283.51 ± 0.88 aB 233.31 ± 9.98xY**
continuous Flordastar 140.75 ± 9.05 dA 198.27 ± 2.91xW**
water deficit Early My Crest 175.41 ± 5.96 bA 97.33 ± 2.25zY**
 
Rubrish 156.14 ± 7.61 cA 180.77 ± 5.92yY**
O’Henry 296.93 ±7.73 aA 283.52 ± 2.69wX

Cyclic deficit Flordastar 149.99 ± 3.19 cA 182.32 ± 5.59 Yx**

irrigation Early My Crest 164.64 ± 4.99 bA 117.42 ± 3.47 zX**
 
Rubrish 145.40 ± 7.31 cA 218.63 ± 10.98 xX**
O’Henry 286.19 ± 7.96 aA 329.09 ± 3.60 wW**
Catalase

Catalase (U min-1 g)
Flesh
90 Peel
90
80 wW
80
70
70 wW
Catalase (U min-1 g)

60 aA aA
60 wxWxW
xW wY
aB aB
50 aB yX
yW
bA bA 50 zX xX
40 bC T1 T1
yY yY T2
bB bB T2 40
cB T3
30
T3
30
20 dC

20
10
10
0
FlordastarEarly My Crest Rubrish O'Henry
0
Flordastar Early My Crest Rubrish O'Henry
Cultivars
Cultivars
 Peroxidase
Peroxidase (U min-1 g)

Peroxidase (U min-1 g)
Flesh Peel
0.9 1
aA

0.8 0.9

0.8
0.7 wW
wW
aB
aB 0.7
0.6 bA wX
0.6
0.5 wY xW xX
T1 T1
bB 0.5
bB T2 yX T2
0.4 cA xY
T3 T3
0.4
0.3 cB xY
dA 0.3
cB
0.2 yW
0.2
dB cB yX zX
0.1 0.1

0 0

Cultivars Cultivars
 Ascorbate-peroxidase
A scorbate-P eroxid ase(U m in -1 g)

Ascorbate-Peroxidase (U min-1 g )
Peel
Flesh 16

16
14
aA
aAB
14
aB bA 12
T1
12 wW
10 wW
T2 wW
bB wW
10 bB wX T1
T3 wX T2
8 wX
wX T3
8 cA
cA
wX
cB xY
cB 6
6 cB xY xY

4
4 dC

2
2

0 0
Flordastar Early My Crest Rubrish O'Henry Flordastar Early My Crest Rubrish O'Henry

Cultivars Cultivars
 Conclusion

Bothpeel and flesh was rich in phenolic compounds and antioxidant

enzymes

Peel showed higher phenolic amounts than flesh in Prunus persica

Fruitsfrom T2 treatment had the best antioxidant activities and the

higher phenolic compounds

Comparing cultivars, O’Henry was the richest on phenolic

compounds

Itwas found that antioxidant enzymes activities of peach fruits seems

to be significantly influenced by genetic differences and water regime
 Permanent water deficit had good impact
on:
 fruits antioxidants activities (POD, CAT
and APX)
 phenolic compounds
 Prospect

Evaluate the phenolic compounds and

enzymatic activities in other vegetative
organs such as leaves

The use of these extracts against diseases

or as antifungal in plants and fruits.
Thank you for your attention !