Metabolic fingerprint of Brazilian maize landraces silk (stigma/styles) using NMR spectroscopy and chemometric methods.

Aqueous extract from maize silks is used by traditional medicine for the treatment of several ailments, mainly related to the urinary system. This work focuses on the application of NMR spectroscopy and chemometric analysis for the determination of metabolic fingerprint and pattern recognition of silk extracts from seven maize landraces cultivated in southern Brazil. Principal component analysis (PCA) of the (1)H NMR data set showed clear discrimination among the maize varieties by PC1 and PC2, pointing out three distinct metabolic profiles. Target compounds analysis showed significant differences (p < 0.05) in the contents of protocatechuic acid, gallic acid, t-cinnamic acid, and anthocyanins, corroborating the discrimination of the genotypes in this study as revealed by PCA analysis. Thus the combination of (1)H NMR and PCA is a useful tool for the discrimination of maize silks in respect to their chemical composition, including rapid authentication of the raw material of current pharmacological interest.