# Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Activity in Edible Flower Species from Oxaxa
## 4 Discussion
### Composition of Tepejilote Inflorescences  
The immature inflorescences of tepejilote, also known as 'Pacaya', are consumed in the Papaloapan region of Oaxaca, Mexico, commonly from tropical and subtropical climates and elevations from 100 to 1500 m, where this species is cultivated for sale in regional markets. According to [PERSON] et al. [45], _C. tepejilote_ is distributed from Mexico to Colombia, and its consumption provides fiber, minerals, protein, vitamin A, and vitamin C. The composition reported in this work agrees with the evaluations of [PERSON] et al. [20] in tepejilote inflorescences collected in Tabasco. The evaluation of samples from different communities of Oaxaca revealed that the contents of polyphenols and flavonoids and the antioxidant activity differed significantly between and within localities of origin. For example, this pattern was observed in samples collected in Ayotzintepec, Jalapa de Diaz, and Santa Maria Jacatepec, where it is commonly traded and consumed. The samples with the lowest polyphenol contents were those collected in Jalapa 1 and 2 and in Santa Maria Jacatepec 3 (1.86 to 2.14 mg GAE g\({}^{-1}\)), and the highest values were detected in the samples collected in Santa Maria Jacatepec 1 and 2 (3.45 to 3.64 mg GAE g\({}^{-1}\)) (Table 6). These values were significantly greater than those reported by [PERSON] et al. [35] (30.02 \(\upmu\)g GAE mg\({}^{-1}\)) in samples from Guatem and the estimates of [PERSON] et al. [46] (from 0.36 to 3.96 \(\upmu\)GAE g\({}^{-1}\)) for inflorescences of _C. tepejilote_ with and without thermal cooking treatments collected from Tapachula, Chiapas. These results suggest that the polyphenol content differs with geographical origin and that the concentration is modified by environmental and genetic factors; however, variation due to the ontogeny of the inflorescences is also intrinsic because the flowers are cut and consumed in the immature state before emerging from the enveloping leaves. The contents of CEs and QEs were significantly different among the different collection sites. For example, samples of inflorescences from Ayotzintepec 3, Jalapa de Diaz 1 and 3, and Santa Maria Jacatepec 3 presented low values of 1.91 to 2.20 mg CE g\({}^{-1}\) and 0.96 to 1.04 mg QE g\({}^{-1}\), respectively. Incontrast, high values were observed in the samples from Ayotzintepec 1 and 2, San J.B. Valle Nacional, and Santa Maria Jacatepec 1 and 2, with values of 2.36 to 2.61 mg CE g\({}^{-1}\) and 1.54 to 1.72 mg QE g\({}^{-1}\), respectively. In addition, the samples had high and low flavonoid contents that were positively and significantly correlated with high and low antioxidant activity levels. The low values of antioxidant activity determined using the DPPH and FRAP methods ranged from 10.1 to 12.3 and from 5.7 to 6.8 \(\mu\)mol TE g\({}^{-1}\), respectively, and the high values ranged from 14.7 to 17.0 and from 13.9 to 17.4 \(\mu\)mol TE g\({}^{-1}\), respectively. These results suggest that variations in flavonoid contents significantly influence antioxidant activity in tepejilote infloresences. The consumption of the immature infloresences of _C. tepejilote_ has been a part of local culture since pre-Columbian times, as reported by [PERSON] and [PERSON] [47], in the region dominated by the Mayan culture and linguistic family. Phytochemical food studies remain limited; although, these flowers can contribute to the Mexican diet by helping to prevent nontransmissible food-related diseases (e.g., diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome), as suggested by the results reported here in terms of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity. [PERSON] et al. [48] demonstrated the high antibacterial potential of _C. tepejilote_ infloresence extracts, and [PERSON] and [PERSON] [49] proposed using tepejilote as a food supplement or breakfast cereal to take advantage of its nutritional properties and dietary fiber content. In all of the species evaluated (_C. tepejilote, Y. filifera, A. salimiana_, and _D.