Skip to main content

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.
Sec. Crop Biology and Sustainability
Volume 8 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2024.1433974

Unraveling the volatile metabolites and potential plant stimulating properties of organically extracted Caulerpa racemosa

Provisionally accepted
Pachuau Lalruatfeli Pachuau Lalruatfeli Ramanujam Krishnan Ramanujam Krishnan *JANAKI PONNUSAMY JANAKI PONNUSAMY Mariappan Suganthy Mariappan Suganthy Djanaguiraman Maduraimuthu Djanaguiraman Maduraimuthu Rangabashyam Kalpana Rangabashyam Kalpana
  • Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Seaweed is an increasingly recognized source of secondary metabolites with significant capacity as plant biostimulants. With the rising popularity of organic farming, there is a pressing need to investigate the utilization of organic solvents derived from natural sources for seaweed extraction. Understanding the composition of these extracts is crucial for elucidating their role as biostimulants in plant growth. Hence, the present study is aimed to explore the phytochemical composition and untargeted metabolomics of four extracts of Caulerpa racemosa (SW), prepared organically using vinegar, fermented buttermilk, and cow urine, in comparison with the conventionally used solvent, water. About 95 volatile metabolites that belongs to 22 chemical classes were identified through GC-MS analysis. The major classes detected include benzene and its substituted derivatives (24%), fatty acyls (17%), phenols (12%), benzofurans (8%), organo-oxygen compounds (6%), steroids and steroid derivatives (5%) and indole and its derivatives (4%). A significant shift in volatile metabolites composition was observed among the organic extracts, as determined through a combination of various statistical analysis. A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) highlighted seven principal components (PCs), which accounted for 99.9% of the total variance. Hierarchical cluster analysis delineated two distinct clusters which signify a clear differentiation among the organic extracts. Furthermore, Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) highlighted 49 volatile metabolites of significant importance, evident from Variable Importance in Projection (VIP) scores of more than 1. These results underscore the intricate and distinct metabolomes inherent in Caulerpa racemosa organic extracts, hinting at their potential as biostimulants for plant growth. This study establishes a foundation for deeper investigations into seaweed extraction utilizing easily accessible organic solvents, presenting a potential benefits for farmers.

    Keywords: Seaweed, Organic, extraction, Metabolomics, volatile metabolites

    Received: 16 May 2024; Accepted: 14 Aug 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Lalruatfeli, Krishnan, PONNUSAMY, Suganthy, Maduraimuthu and Kalpana. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Ramanujam Krishnan, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.