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<p>Climate change impacts ecological interactions in tropical ecosystems, with significant reductions in precipitation projected for seasonally dry forests such as the Brazilian Caatinga. This study investigates how rainfall variation affects the production of phenolic compounds in woody medicinal plants of the Caatinga, where these compounds play essential roles in both ecological functions and medicinal applications. Stem bark samples of ten species were collected from abundant medicinal plant species in Catimbau National Park, northeastern Brazil, across plots characterized by contrasting rainfall regimes (low and high precipitation). Phenolic content was quantified using the Folin-Ciocalteu method, tannins by casein precipitation, and flavonoids by aluminum chloride complexation. Analyses were conducted at the community level and for species-specific variations between rainfall regimes. Contrary to our initial hypothesis, reduced precipitation did not result in increased phenolic compound production. At the community level, total phenolic content and tannin concentrations were higher in high-rainfall areas, while flavonoid levels showed no significant differences. However, 40% of the species exhibited higher flavonoid levels under low-rainfall conditions. For <i>Cenostigma microphyllum</i> (Mart. ex G.Don) Gagnon &amp; G.P.Lewis and <i>Senegalia piauhiensis</i> (Benth.) Bocage &amp; L.P.Queiroz, no significant variation in total phenolic content or tannins was observed across rainfall gradients. Similarly, the flavonoid content of <i>C. microphyllum</i>, <i>Jatropha mutabilis</i> (Pohl) Baill., and <i>Pityrocarpa moniliformis</i> (Benth.) Luckow &amp; R.W. Jobson remained unchanged between rainfall regimes. These findings indicate that reduced precipitation negatively affects the production of total phenolics and tannins in Caatinga plants, which may alter their ecological roles and medicinal value under future climate change scenarios.</p>

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Effects of precipitation gradient on phenolic compound accumulation in woody medicinal plants of the Caatinga (NE, Brazil)

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年8月5日

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  • Marcela Maria Albuquerque Silva,
  • Arthur Vinicius Silva Cabral,
  • Marciel Teixeira de Oliveira,
  • Antonio Fernando Morais de Oliveira,
  • Ulysses Paulino Albuquerque

摘要

Climate change impacts ecological interactions in tropical ecosystems, with significant reductions in precipitation projected for seasonally dry forests such as the Brazilian Caatinga. This study investigates how rainfall variation affects the production of phenolic compounds in woody medicinal plants of the Caatinga, where these compounds play essential roles in both ecological functions and medicinal applications. Stem bark samples of ten species were collected from abundant medicinal plant species in Catimbau National Park, northeastern Brazil, across plots characterized by contrasting rainfall regimes (low and high precipitation). Phenolic content was quantified using the Folin-Ciocalteu method, tannins by casein precipitation, and flavonoids by aluminum chloride complexation. Analyses were conducted at the community level and for species-specific variations between rainfall regimes. Contrary to our initial hypothesis, reduced precipitation did not result in increased phenolic compound production. At the community level, total phenolic content and tannin concentrations were higher in high-rainfall areas, while flavonoid levels showed no significant differences. However, 40% of the species exhibited higher flavonoid levels under low-rainfall conditions. For Cenostigma microphyllum (Mart. ex G.Don) Gagnon & G.P.Lewis and Senegalia piauhiensis (Benth.) Bocage & L.P.Queiroz, no significant variation in total phenolic content or tannins was observed across rainfall gradients. Similarly, the flavonoid content of C. microphyllum, Jatropha mutabilis (Pohl) Baill., and Pityrocarpa moniliformis (Benth.) Luckow & R.W. Jobson remained unchanged between rainfall regimes. These findings indicate that reduced precipitation negatively affects the production of total phenolics and tannins in Caatinga plants, which may alter their ecological roles and medicinal value under future climate change scenarios.