Hi,

Yes, artificial polyploid plants can indeed have different flavonoid and phenolic content compared to their diploid counterparts, and these changes can affect the biological activities of the plant extracts. Research has shown that polyploidy, or genome doubling, can modify secondary metabolite production, including flavonoids and phenolics, which are key components affecting a plant's antioxidant and medicinal properties.

1. Flavonoid and Phenolic Content in Polyploid vs. Diploid Plants: Studies indicate that artificial polyploidization tends to increase the phenolic content in plants but may have varied effects on flavonoids. For example, in Ponkan mandarin, polyploidization increased phenolic content while decreasing flavonoid levels (Tan et al., 2019). Similarly, in Lonicera japonica, while some flavonoid levels were higher in polyploid plants, certain stages of growth showed that diploid plants could have higher levels of specific flavonoids like luteoloside (Wang et al., 2020). Therefore, depending on the species and growth stage, polyploid plants may have reduced flavonoid levels compared to diploids despite having higher overall phenolic content.

2. Effects on Biological Activities: The biological activity of plant extracts, particularly their antioxidant potential, is closely related to their phenolic and flavonoid content. Generally, a higher phenolic content in polyploid plants correlates with enhanced antioxidant activity. For instance, studies on Anoectochilus roxburghii and Lonicera japonica show that the higher phenolic content in polyploid plants leads to greater antioxidant properties (Huang et al., 2022; Kong et al., 2017). However, the decrease in flavonoids could reduce some specific antioxidant capabilities, depending on the type of biological activity being evaluated (Liu et al., 2019).

3. Protocol Modification: To optimize the biological activities of polyploid plant extracts, it may be necessary to adjust the cultivation and extraction protocols. Timing the harvest to stages where both phenolic and flavonoid contents are optimized can be critical. For example, in Lonicera japonica, the best harvest period for maximizing both compounds was identified at specific growth stages (S3-S5) (Kong et al., 2017). Additionally, ensuring optimal environmental conditions during cultivation could enhance both phenolic and flavonoid production in polyploid plants.

In conclusion, artificial polyploid plants can indeed exhibit lower flavonoid content than their diploid counterparts, while having higher phenolic content, affecting their biological activities. To maximize the benefits of polyploidization, it is important to tailor harvesting and cultivation practices to enhance both types of compounds.

References:

Kong, D., Li, Y., Bai, M., Deng, Y., Liang, G., & Wu, H. (2017). A comparative study of the dynamic accumulation of polyphenol components and the changes in their antioxidant activities in diploid and tetraploid Lonicera japonica. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 112, 87–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plaphy.2016.12.027

Huang, X., Ouyang, K., Luo, Y., Xie, G., Yang, Y.-C., & Zhang, J. (2022). A comparative study of characteristics in diploid and tetraploid Anoectochilus roxburghii. Frontiers in Nutrition, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.1034751

Tan, F., Zhang, M., Xie, K., Fan, Y.-J., Song, X., Wang, R., Wu, X.-M., & Guo, W. (2019). Polyploidy remodels fruit metabolism by modifying carbon source utilization and metabolic flux in Ponkan mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco). Plant Science, 289, 110276. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plantsci.2019.110276

Wang, H., Li, Y., Wang, S., Kong, D., Sahu, S. K., Bai, M., Li, H., Li, L., Xu, Y., Liang, H., Liu, H., & Wu, H. (2020). Comparative transcriptomic analyses of chlorogenic acid and luteolosides biosynthesis pathways at different flowering stages of diploid and tetraploid Lonicera japonica. PeerJ, 8. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.8690

Liu, M., Wang, P., Wei, X., Liu, Q., Li, X., Liang, G., & Guo, Q. (2019). Effects of triploidization of loquat (Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl.) on flavonoids and phenolics and antioxidant activities in leaves and flower buds. HortScience, 54(12), 2112-2118. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI13999-19

If you need information about the harvesting practices just tell me.