Analyzing Passion Fruits Using Spectral Fingerprinting Methods

Undergraduate #136
Discipline: Biological Sciences
Subcategory: Plant Research

David A. Darko - Bowie State University

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Passion Fruits (Passiflora eduilus) are one of the most frequent delicacies native to southern Brazil and parts of South America. It has a rich source of healthy beneficial bioactive phytochemicals (polyphenols and flavonoids) with treatments against cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes. Environmental pollution and global warming has had a contribution to the development of the Passion Fruit. The purpose of our investigation was to find the effects of different electrical conductivities and Humistar treatments on Passion Fruit metabolites. Spectral Fingerprinting methods such Near-Infrared Spectrophotometry (NIR) and Ultraviolet Spectrophotometry were used in order to get concrete results. The results of our study inferred that there is a difference in grouping between the Ultraviolet and Near-Infrared spectrophotometry. It showed that there is more variation within the use of UV spectrophotometry. Future plans include going in depth by finding what metabolites exist by using LC-MS and GS-MS.

Funder Acknowledgement(s): NSF (National Science Foundation)

Faculty Advisor: Anne Osano, aosano@bowiestate.edu

Role: NIR ANALYSIS: All passion fruit samples were ground in a coffee grinder 200 mg of each type of passion fruit were measured and placed in a glass vial. NIR analysis was performed using a Nicolet 6700 spectrophotometer (Thermo Scientific, Waltham, MA). NIR spectra were collected from wavenumber 4000 cm−1 to 10000 cm−1 at ambient temperature. Samples were recorded six times each for each.