# Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Activity in Edible Flower Species from Oxaxa
## 4 Discussion
### Composition of Inflorescences of Cuachepil (D. americana)  
Guachepil, cuachepil, gallito, chipilin, and guachipelin trees are distributed from Mexico to Panama, with inflorescences and yellow flowers distributed in racemes that are frequently visited by bees [24]. In Oaxaca, plants regularly bloom after the rainy season, and the flowers cover nearly the entire tree. In addition to their ornamental appearance, the flowers are sold in traditional markets for consumption as 'quelite' (edible flower) in the Valles Centrales and Sierra Sur regions of Oaxaca; these flowers have a high local demand as part of the local gastronomy. In terms of the phenolic compound contents and antioxidant activity in cuachepil infloresances, there were frequently significant differences between and within localities or geographical origins of the samples evaluated. This pattern was observed within the samples collected in Agua Fria and Santos Reyes in the municipality of Villa Sola de Vega and among samples from the municipality of Santa Cruz Xitla. The samples from Santos Reyes Sola de Vega-2 and Santa Cruz Xitla 1 and 3 had the highest polyphenol concentrations (56.2 to 59.6 mg GAE g\({}^{-1}\)); the samples from Santos Reyes Sola de Vega-1, San Felipe Zapotitlan, and San Pedro El Alto had the lowest polyphenol concentrations (38.7 to 41.1 mg GAE g\({}^{-1}\)) (Table 5). In samples of guachepil from Valles Centrales of Oaxaca, [PERSON] et al. [19] estimated an average of 26.4 mg GAE g\({}^{-1}\), which is slightly lower than that reported in this study. However, these results suggest differences and high variability among the populations and plants sampled. In terms of flavonoid contents, the populations or samples with low values were the same as those identified for equivalents of catechin (CE) and quercetin (QE): Santos Reyes Sola de Vega-1, San Felipe Zapotitlan, and San Pedro El Alto (18.8 to 21.9 mg CE g\({}^{-1}\) and 11.2 to 11.4 mg QE g\({}^{-1}\)); in contrast, the populations or samples with high values were Santa Cruz Xitla 1, 2, and 3 (30.4 to 38.1 mg CE g\({}^{-1}\)) and Santos Reyes Sola de Vega-2 and Agua Fria Sola de Vega-2 (17.3 to 24.9 mg QE g\({}^{-1}\)). In contrast, [PERSON] et al. [19] estimated an average value of 47.1 \(\pm\) 1.6 mg QE g\({}^{-1}\); these differences are due, in part, to differences in the analytical approach and in the growth conditions and genetic conditions of the plants from which samples were collected. These results showed a significant and positive correlation between the contents of polyphenols and flavonoids and the antioxidant activity evaluated using the DPPH and FRAP methods, indicating the strong influence of phenolic compounds on the antioxidant activity. These results suggest that samples with higher contents of polyphenols and/or flavonoids also have greater antioxidant activity (e.g., samples from Santos Reyes Sola de Vega-2 and Santa Cruz Xitla-1). In contrast, the samples with lower concentrations of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity were from Santos Reyes Sola de Vega-1, San Felipe Zapotilan, and San Pedro El Alto. These relationships show that the growth conditions of cauchepil plants significantly influence the concentration of phenolic compounds and, consequently, their antioxidant activity. [PERSON] et al. [19] estimated mean values of 181.6 \(\pm\) 5.9 \(\upmu\)mol TE mg\({}^{-1}\) in cauchepil samples via the DPPH method, and, in this work, the variations ranged from 185.7 to 299.6 \(\upmu\)mol TE g\({}^{-1}\) and from 290.4 to 508.7 \(\upmu\)mol TE g\({}^{-1}\) according to the DPPH and FRAP methods, respectively. Notably, antioxidant activity is related not only to the concentration of phenolic compounds but also to the concentrations of other compounds, such as terpenes, pigments, and other compounds generated via secondary metabolism. The composition and antioxidant activity of _D. americana_ (synonyms: _D. robinioides_ or _D. earthagenensis_) are related to its high potential to be beneficial to human health.