Natural variation in specialised metabolites production in the leafy vegetable spider plant (Gynandropsis gynandra L. (Briq.)) in Africa and Asia

Increased public awareness of healthy foods and healthy living, coupled with escalating medicinal costs and recent advances in research and technology, has sparked a paradigm shift to nutraceuticals, which guarantee human health and disease prevention. Spider plant (Gynandropsis gynandra) contains dietary phytochemicals with high nutritional and medicinal properties that can contribute to healthy living. A study was conducted to identify spider plant (Gynandropsis gynandra (L.) Briq.) accessions with superior levels of dietary phytochemicals and anti-oxidative activity for use in nutraceutical breeding. Thirty-three accessions of spider plant, representing a wide genetic diversity based on geographic areas of origin (Asia, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa), were used. Total phenolic acids, tannins, and anthocyanins were extracted and quantified using the Folin-Ciocalteau colorimetric, spectrophotometric, and pH differential methods, respectively. Antioxidant activity was determined using phosphomolybdenum method. Results showed significant variation in levels of total phenolic compounds, tannins, anthocyanins, and antioxidant activity (P < 0.05) amongst the spider plant accessions and regions of origin; ODS-15-037 (464 mg TAE/g DW), ODS-15-053 (270 mg GAE/g DW), and BC-02A (127 mg cyanidin-3-glucoside/g DW) had the highest levels of total tannins, phenolic compounds, and anthocyanins, respectively. Antioxidant activity was high in ODS-15-053 (492.2 mg AAE/100 g DW), NAM 2232 (445.3 mg AAE/100 g DW), and NAM-6 (432.5 mg AAE/100 g DW). On average, West African accessions had significantly high tannin concentrations (239 mg TAE/g DW), while Southern Africa accessions contained significantly high anthocyanin content (58.9 mg cyanidin-3-glucoside/g DW). The superior accessions are potential candidates for use in nutraceutical breeding, while the regions of origin could be used as gene pools for specific phytochemicals for improving dietary supplements of nutraceuticals. The strong antioxidant activity exhibited by spider plant accessions suggests the presence of compounds responsible for scavenging free oxygen or nitrogen radicals. Further studies are recommended to identify the chromosomal regions that contain genes controlling the dietary nutraceuticals in the genetic materials and to determine their association with foliage yield and other phenotypes, which can be utilized in spider plant improvement.

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Diversity and Domestication Status of Spider Plant (Gynandropsis gynandra, L.) amongst Sociolinguistic Groups of Northern Namibia

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy10010056 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 56 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Barthlomew Chataika ◽

Levi Akundabweni ◽

Enoch G. Achigan-Dako ◽

Julia Sibiya ◽

Kingdom Kwapata ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Species Diversity ◽

Group Discussion ◽

Organic Manure ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Plant Abundance ◽

Chi Square ◽

Key Informant ◽

Gynandropsis Gynandra ◽

Spider Plant ◽

Farming Households

Knowledge on the diversity and domestication levels of the spider plant (Gynandropsis gynandra) has the potential to affect pre-breeding for client-preferred traits, yet information is scarce in Namibia due to limited research. We investigated indigenous knowledge on the species diversity and domestication levels in the regions of Kavango West, Ohangwena, Omusati, Oshana, and Oshikoto of northern Namibia. Semi-structured interviews involving 100 randomly selected farming households, four key informant interviews, and a focus group discussion were conducted. Descriptive and chi-square tests were conducted using IBM SPSS version 20. Out of the possible four morphotypes, the results suggested that only one with green stem and green petiole existed and was associated with soils rich in organic manure. Spider plant abundance was reported to be on the decline, due to declining soil fertility. On a scale of 0 (wild species) to 6 (highest level of domestication), an index of 1.56 was found and this implied very low domestication levels. Furthermore, the study found significant differences in the trends of domestication across the sociolinguistic groups (χ2 (12, N = 98) = 46.9, p < 0.001) and regions studied (χ2 (12, N = 100) = 47.8, p < 0.001), suggesting cultural and geographical influences. In conclusion, the findings constituted an important precedent for guiding subsequent pre-breeding efforts.

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