Relationship of Color and Antioxidant Capacity with the Content of Secondary Metabolites in Flowers of Crocosmia

Piqueras-García, Manuel; Cebrián-Tarancón, Cristina; Alonso, Gonzalo L.; Sánchez-Gómez, Rosario

doi:10.3390/agronomy16030286

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Relationship of Color and Antioxidant Capacity with the Content of Secondary Metabolites in Flowers of Crocosmia

by

Manuel Piqueras-García

,

Cristina Cebrián-Tarancón

,

Gonzalo L. Alonso

^*

and

Rosario Sánchez-Gómez

^*

Cátedra de Química Agrícola, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica y de Montes y Biotecnología (ETSIAMB), Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Avda. de España s/n, 02071 Albacete, Spain

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Agronomy 2026, 16(3), 286; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16030286

Submission received: 24 December 2025 / Revised: 13 January 2026 / Accepted: 21 January 2026 / Published: 23 January 2026

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Aspects of Medicinal, Aromatic and Spice Plants' Cultivation, Harvest, Processing and Conservation)

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Abstract

Crocosmia is a genus of bulbous, perennial plants from the Iridaceae family whose characteristic red to orange pigmentation suggests the presence of anthocyanins, flavonoids, and carotenoids—secondary metabolites often associated with antioxidant activity. This study aimed to characterize and compare the major pigment-related metabolites in two Crocosmia varieties (Crocosmia masoniorum “Lucifer” and Crocosmia aurea) through chromatographic (HPLC-DAD) and spectrophotometric analyses (UV-Vis), using Crocus sativus L. flowers as a reference matrix. Successfully, the major crocin trans-4-GG, the flavonol kaempferol-3-O-β-sophoroside, and the anthocyanin delphinidin-3-O-β-glucoside were quantified in Crocosmia flowers. Additional metabolites absent in Crocus sativus L. were also identified and quantified. Both Crocosmia varieties exhibited higher antioxidant capacity than Crocus sativus L. flowers, highlighting their potential for future applications in pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, or functional ingredient development.

Keywords: Crocosmia; Crocus sativus L.; flower pigmentation; antioxidant capacity; secondary metabolites; crocins; phenolic compounds

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MDPI and ACS Style

Piqueras-García, M.; Cebrián-Tarancón, C.; Alonso, G.L.; Sánchez-Gómez, R. Relationship of Color and Antioxidant Capacity with the Content of Secondary Metabolites in Flowers of Crocosmia. Agronomy 2026, 16, 286. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16030286

AMA Style

Piqueras-García M, Cebrián-Tarancón C, Alonso GL, Sánchez-Gómez R. Relationship of Color and Antioxidant Capacity with the Content of Secondary Metabolites in Flowers of Crocosmia. Agronomy. 2026; 16(3):286. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16030286

Chicago/Turabian Style

Piqueras-García, Manuel, Cristina Cebrián-Tarancón, Gonzalo L. Alonso, and Rosario Sánchez-Gómez. 2026. "Relationship of Color and Antioxidant Capacity with the Content of Secondary Metabolites in Flowers of Crocosmia" Agronomy 16, no. 3: 286. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16030286

APA Style

Piqueras-García, M., Cebrián-Tarancón, C., Alonso, G. L., & Sánchez-Gómez, R. (2026). Relationship of Color and Antioxidant Capacity with the Content of Secondary Metabolites in Flowers of Crocosmia. Agronomy, 16(3), 286. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16030286

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Relationship of Color and Antioxidant Capacity with the Content of Secondary Metabolites in Flowers of Crocosmia

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