Comparative NMR-based profiling of polyphenols in Fragaria × ananassa cv. Marisol and Festival strawberry leaves

Isaac Peña-Romero; Isaac F. Céspedes-Camacho; Karla Ramírez-Gualito; Karla Salas-Arias; Fabián Villalta-Romero

doi:10.1515/pac-2025-0475

Article

Comparative NMR-based profiling of polyphenols in Fragaria × ananassa cv. Marisol and Festival strawberry leaves

Isaac Peña-Romero , Isaac F. Céspedes-Camacho , Karla Ramírez-Gualito , Karla Salas-Arias and Fabián Villalta-Romero

Published/Copyright: May 23, 2025

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From the journal Pure and Applied Chemistry Volume 98 Issue 2

Abstract

The polyphenol profiles of strawberry leaves (Fragaria × ananassa cvs. Marisol and Festival), cultivated in the tropical highlands of Costa Rica, were analyzed using high-field (750 MHz) and benchtop (60 MHz) Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Soluble and insoluble fractions were examined, revealing differences in the aromatic (6.0–8.0 ppm) and sugar (3.0–5.5 ppm) regions. High-field NMR provided sharper, more resolved signals, allowing for the identification of glycosylated polyphenols, flavonoids, and phenolic acids. Marisol exhibited a higher diversity and intensity of glycosylated polyphenols compared to Festival. In the insoluble fractions, both cultivars showed a unique peak at 2.0 ppm, absent in the soluble fractions, likely corresponding to lipids or matrix-bound compounds. The benchtop NMR spectra, though lower in resolution, confirmed key spectral patterns and cultivar differences. This study demonstrates the complementary use of high- and low-field NMR for polyphenol profiling and highlights the potential of strawberry leaves as a valuable source of bioactive compounds, contributing to the understanding of underutilized plant materials and their applications in health-related fields.

Keywords: 1H NMR; Costa Rica Congress; metabolite characterization; nuclear magnetic resonance; polyphenol profiling

Corresponding author: Fabián Villalta-Romero, Biotechnology Research Center, Department of Biology, Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, 30101 Cartago, Costa Rica, e-mail: fvillalta@itcr.ac.cr

Article note: A collection of invited papers based on presentations at the Costa Rica Chemistry Congress (CR 2024) held on 23–26 July 2024 in Heredia, Costa Rica.

Funding source: Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica

Award Identifier / Grant number: Ley del Cemento N° 9829

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Vicerrectoría de Investigación y Extensión and the Vicerrectoría de Vida Estudiantil y Servicios Académicos of the Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica.

Research ethics: Not applicable.
Informed consent: Not applicable.
Author contributions: Conceptualization, I.P.R., K.S.A., F.V.R.; Methodology, I.P.R., K.S.A., F.V.R.; Software, I.P.R. and F.V.R., Validation, I.P.R., I.F.C.C. and F.V.R., Formal analysis, I.P.R., I.F.C.C. and F.V.R.; Investigation, I.P.R., I.F.C.C., K.R.G. and F.V.R., Resources, I.P.R., I.F.C.C., K.R.G., K.S.A and F.V.R., Writing – review & editing, I.P.R., F.V.R. and I.F.C.C. All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: None declared.
Conflict of interest: The authors state no conflict of interest.
Research funding: The study was financially supported by the Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, grant Ley del Cemento N° 9829.
Data availability: The original contributions presented in this study are included in the article. Further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.

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Received: 2025-04-04

Accepted: 2025-04-29

Published Online: 2025-05-23

Published in Print: 2026-02-24

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2025-0475

Keywords for this article

1H NMR; Costa Rica Congress; metabolite characterization; nuclear magnetic resonance; polyphenol profiling