# Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Activity in Edible Flower Species from Oxaxa
## 4 Discussion
### Composition of Inflorescences of Maguey Pulquero (A. salmiana)  
The inflorescences and flowers of maguey are commonly known as 'cacayas', 'gualumbos', 'hualumbos', or 'patas de gallina de cerro' (hen's feet). They are purple-green-yellowish when they open and are widely consumed in all regions of Oaxaca, where several species of maguey or agave are distributed, from mezcaleros to pulqueros. The traditional preparation of these inflorescences is 'desflemar' (immersion in salt water), namely, boiling with salt or frying them with or without eggs; sometimes, the pistil and part of the style of the individual flowers are removed, although this practice varies regionally. However, the local forms of consumption are not exclusive to Oaxaca but are common in other states, such as Puebla or Hidalgo, Mexico, and include other species of agave such as mezcaleros, pulqueros (fermented agave drink), and 'ixtle' (fibers for ropes) [14; 38; 39]. Significant differences were recorded among the samples of different geographical origins. This pattern was expected because _A. salmiana_ plants can grow in patches or in a solitary habit, and the plants regularly experience restrictions in water, nutrients, and, in some cases, light. It is important to note that _A. salmiana_ are CAM plants. The inflorescence samples from Santa Lucia Monte Verde, San Esteban Attalhuca, Santo Tomas Octepec, and San Jose Monte Verde presented the lowest concentrations of polyphenols (12.1 to 13.3 mg GAE g\({}^{-1}\)), while the samples collected from Santa Cruz Nundaco and Chalcatongo de Hidalgo had relatively high concentrations (15.6 to 16.6 mg GAE g\({}^{-1}\)) (Table 4). [PERSON] et al. [18] reported an average concentration of 4.63 mg GAE g\({}^{-1}\) in the inflorescences of _A. salmiana_ collected in Tantempango, Hidalgo, which was slightly lower than that obtained in the present study. This limited comparison also indicated the presence of high variability between populations and plant growth conditions. In terms of the flavonoid equivalents of catechin (CE) and quercetin (QE), the infloresances and flowers sampled in San Juan Teposcolula, San Pedro Molinos, Santo Tomas Ocotepec, and San Esteban Atlathuca of the Mixteca region presented the lowest values, from 3.18 to 3.44 mg CE g\({}^{-1}\) and from 2.73 to 3.57 mg QE g\({}^{-1}\), respectively. The highest concentrations of CEs were detected in the samples from Chalcatongo Hidalgo and Santa Cruz Nundaco (3.95 and 4.73 mg CE g\({}^{-1}\), respectively), while the highest QE concentrations were detected in the samples from San Jose Monte Verde and Santa Cruz Itundujaia (from 4.26 to 4.32 mg QE g\({}^{-1}\)). In all of these regions, the drought or dry period is prolonged because it does not rain from November to May or June, resulting in seven to nine months without rain. [PERSON] et al. [18] recorded an average of 4.58 mg QE g\({}^{-1}\) for _A. salmiana_ from Hidalgo, a value within the range of high values recorded in this study. [PERSON] et al. [40] reported an average value of 1.21 mg QE g\({}^{-1}\) for _A. durangensis._ These results show that not only environmental factors but also genetic factors can influence flavonoid contents. The populations or samples with the highest contents of polyphenols and flavonoids were consistent with those with high antioxidant activity, and a significant and positive correlation was observed between these measures. The lowest antioxidant activity at the population level according to the DPPH method ranged from 34.4 to 36.8, while the highest activity level ranged from 45.4 to 47.5 umol TE g\({}^{-1}\); the same pattern was recorded when activity levels were measured using the FRAP method--from 47.7 to 48.1 and from 56.8 to 68.0 umol TE g\({}^{-1}\) at lower and higher concentrations, respectively. [PERSON] et al. [18] estimated averages of 24.64 and 25.21 umol TE g\({}^{-1}\) using the DPPH and FRAP methods, respectively, for extracts of flowers of _A.