Application of Organic Waste Derived from Vitamin C Industry Increases Yield and Bioactive Constituents of Medicinal Food Plant Purslane (<i>Portulaca oleracea</i> L.)

Abstract

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) is widely distributed and commonly utilized as an important medicinal food plant. The application of organic matter is a frequently employed strategy to enhance the quality and growth of medicinal plants. However, there is limited research on the impact of low-molecular-weight organic carbon on medicinal plants. This study evaluated the influence of the residue after evaporation (RAE) from industrial fermentation of vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid, ASA), which mainly consists of low-molecular-weight organic acids (LMWOAs), on the growth and bioactive constituents of purslane. Cultivation with different doses (2.7, 1.35, and 0.675 mL RAE per kg of soil) of RAE exhibited the highest levels of enhancement in the ASA, dopamine, total alkaloids, and total phenols content by 103.28%, 118.38%, 32.43%, and 27.64%, respectively, while promoting purslane’s growth. Furthermore, there was a dose–effect relationship between the dose of RAE and purslane’s ASA, total phenols, dopamine and total alkaloids. Metabolomic analysis revealed that the effects of RAE on pathways related to ASA synthesis, glycolysis, citrate cycle and amino acid synthesis contributed to the bioactive constituent accumulation in purslane. These findings suggest that RAE can effectively modulate the primary metabolic processes, thereby enhancing the yield and bioactive constituents of purslane. It is a valuable source of LMWOAs for the cultivation of medicinal plants. The resource utilization of RAE will enhance the production of medicinal plants, thereby contributing to satisfying the demand for bioactive natural products in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries.

Keywords

• L-ascorbic acid
• dopamine
• total alkaloids
• total phenols
• low-molecular-weight organic acid
• metabolomics