Effects of Chitosan as Growth Elicitor on Some Growth Parameters and Essential Oils Yield of Dracocephalium moldavica L. Under Salinity Condition

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Abstract

Plant growth and development are adversely affected by salinity. In order to evaluate the effects of different salinity levels and application of chitosan on some growth parameters, photosynthesis pigments and essential oils content and yield of moldavian balm (Dracocephalium moldavica L.), a greenhouse experiment was carried out as a factorial based on the completely randomized design (CRD) and three replications. The first factor was three levels of salinity stress included 0, 25 and 50 Mm NaCl and the second factor was application of chitosan (0, 0.25, 0.5 and 1 % w/v). The studied traits include the morphological (plant height, shoot fresh and dry weight, leaf fresh and dry weight and inflorescence length), chlorophyll fluorescence (Variable fluorescence, maximum chlorophyll fluorescence yield, Water degradation complex), photosynthesis pigments (chlorophyll a and b, carotenoid) and also essential oil content and yield. The results demonstrated that all morphological traits and some of physiological characteristics including chlorophyll fluorescence indices, chlorophyll a, and chlorophyll b and carotenoid contents significantly decreased with increasing the salinity level. In addition, the results showed that with application of chitosan in the salinity conditions, all morphological traits, antioxidant enzymes activity, and chlorophyll fluorescence (Variable fluorescence, maximum chlorophyll fluorescence yield, Water degradation complex, Y (II)) parameters improved compared with control. Furthermore, foliar application of chitosan increased the essential oil and yield under salinity stress condition. It seems that chitosan has a positive effect to overcome effects of salinity stress and might be help to increasers essential oil yield on medicinal plants.
 

Keywords


Agrawal GK, Rakwal R, Tamogami S, Yonekura M, Kubo A and Saji H. 2002. Chitosan activates defense/stress response(s) in the leaves of Oryza sativa seedlings. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 40: 1061-1069.
Arnon AN. 1967. Method of extraction of chlorophyll in the plants. Agronomy Journal, 23(4): 112-121.
Aziz EE, Al-Amier H and Craker LE. 2008. Influence of salt stress on growth and essential oil production in peppermint, pennyroyal, and apple mint. Journal of Herbs, Spices & Medicinal Plants, 14(1-2): 77-87.
Azizpour K, Shakiba MR, Sima NKK, Alyari H, Mogaddam M, Esfandiari E and Pessarakli M. 2010. Physiological response of spring durum wheat genotypes to salinity. Journal of Plant Nutrition, 33(6): 859-873.
Baker NR and Rosenqvist E. 2004. Applications of chlorophyll fluorescence can improve crop production strategies: an examination of future possibilities. Journal of Experimental Botany, 55(403): 1607-1621.
Bernstein N, Kravchik M and Dudai N. 2010. Salinity‐induced changes in essential oil, pigments and salts accumulation in sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) in relation to alterations of morphological development. Annals of Applied Biology, 156(2): 167-177.
Bistgani A, Emami Z, Siadat S. A, Bakhshandeh A, Ghasemi Pirbalouti A and Hashemi M. 2017. Interactive effects of drought stress and chitosan application on physiological characteristics and essential oil yield of Thymus daenensis Celak. The Crop Journal, 5(5): 407-415.
Cheng X, Zhou U and Cui X. 2006. Improvement of phenylethanoid glycosides biosynthesis in Cistanche deserticola cell suspension cultures by chitosan elicitor. Biotechnology Journal, 121: 253 - 60.
Dogan M. 2011. Antioxidative and proline potentials as a protective mechanism in soybean plants under salinity stress. African Journal of Biotechnology, 10(32): 5972-5978.‏
Dzung NA and Thang NT. 2002. Effects of oligoglucosamine prepared by enzyme degradation on the growth of soybean. pp. 463-467. In: Suchiva, V.K., S. Chandrkrachang, P. Methacanon and M.G. Peter (Eds.), Advanced Chitin Science, Bangkok.
El Hadrami A, Adam LR, El Hadrami I and Daayf F. 2010. Chitosan in plant protection. Marine drugs, 8(4): 968-987.
Esfandiari E, Enayati V and Abbasi A. 2011. Biochemical and physiological changes in response to salinity in two durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L.) genotypes. Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca, 39(1): 165-170.
Ferreira-Silva SL, Silveira J. A, Voigt EL, Soares, LS and Viégas RA. 2008. Changes in physiological indicators associated with salt tolerance in two contrasting cashew rootstocks. Brazilian Journal of Plant Physiology, 20(1): 51-59.
Hasanuzzaman M, Nahar K and Fujita M. 2013. Plant response to salt stress and role of exogenous protectants to mitigate salt-induced damages. In Ecophysiology and Responses of Plants under Salt Stress, 62(3):25-87.
Hassanzadeh K, Ahmadi M and Shaban M. 2014. Effect of pre-treatment of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) seeds on seed germination and seedlings growth under salt stress. International Journal of Plant Animal Environmental Sciences, 4(3): 260-265.
Hussain, AI, Anwar F, Sherazi ST and Przybylski R. 2008. Chemical composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of basil (Ocimum basilicum) essential oils depend on seasonal variations. Food Chemistry, 108(3): 986-995.
Jaleel CA, Gopi R, Kishorekumar A, Manivannan P, Sankar B and Panneerselvam R. 2008. Interactive effects of triadimefon and salt stress on antioxidative status and ajmalicine accumulation in Catharanthus roseus. Acta Physiologiae Plantarum, 30(3): 287-295. ‏
Jayakannan M, Bose J, Babourina O, Rengel Z and Shabala S. 2015. Salicylic acid in plant salinity stress signalling and tolerance. Plant Growth Regulation, 76(1): 25-40.
Karimi M, Ahmadi A, Hashemi J, Abbasi A and Angelini LG. 2014. Effect of two plant growth retardants on steviol glycosides content and antioxidant capacity in Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni). Acta Physiologiae Plantarum, 36(5): 1211-1219.
Karray-Bouraoui N, Rabhi M, Neffati M, Baldan B, Ranieri A, Marzouk B and Smaoui A. 2009. Salt effect on yield and composition of shoot essential oil and trichome morphology and density on leaves of Mentha pulegium. Industrial Crops and Products, 30(3): 338-343.
Movahhedy-Dehnavy M, Modarres-Sanavy SAM and Mokhtassi-Bidgoli A. 2009. Foliar application of zinc and manganese improves seed yield and quality of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) grown under water deficit stress. Industrial Crops and Products, 30(1): 82-92.
       Neffati M, Sriti J, Hamdaoui G and Kchouk ME. 2011. Salinity impact on fruit yield, essential oil composition and antioxidant activities of Coriandrum sativum fruit extracts. Food Chemistry, 124(1): 221-225.
Neumann KH, Kumar A and Imani J. 2009. Plant cell and tissue culture-A tool in Biotechnology: Basics and Application. Springer Science & Business Media.
        Netondo GW, Onyango JC and Beck E. 2004. Sorghum and salinity: II. Gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence of sorghum under salt stress. Crop Science, 44, 806-814.
Omoto E, Kawasaki M, Taniguchi M and Miyake H. 2009. Salinity induces granal development in bundle sheath chloroplasts of NADP-malic enzyme type C4 plants. Plant Production Science, 12:199–207.
Parida A. K and Das A. B. 2005. Salt tolerance and salinity effects on plants: a review. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 60(3): 324-349.
Petersen M. 2013. Rosmarinic acid: new aspects. Phytochemistry Reviews, 12(1):207-227.
Petropoulos SA, Daferera D, Polissiou M. G and Passam HC. 2008. The effect of water deficit stress on the growth, yield and composition of essential oils of parsley. Scientia Horticulturae, 115(4): 393-397.
Pichersky E, Noel JP and Dudareva N. 2006. Biosynthesis of plant volatiles, nature's diversity and ingenuity. Science, 311(5762): 808-811.
Rahdari P, Tavakoli S and Hosseini S. M. 2012. Studying of salinity stress effect on germination, proline, sugar, protein, lipid and chlorophyll content in purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) leaves. Journal of Stress Physiology & Biochemistry, 8(1): 182-193.
Razzaghi F, Ahmadi SH. Adolf VI, Jensen CR, Jacobsen SE and Andersen MN. 2011. Water relations and transpiration of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) under salinity and soil drying. Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science, 197(5): 348-360.
Said-Al Ahl HA, Sabra AS, El Gendy AG, Aziz EE and Tkachenko KG. 2015. Changes in content and chemical composition of Dracocephalum moldavica L. essential oil at different harvest dates. Journal of Medicinal Plants Studies, 3(2): 61-64.
Said-Al Ahl HAH, Abou-Ellail M and Omer EA. 2016. Harvest date and genotype influences growth characters and essential oil production and composition of Petroselinum crispum plants. Journal of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Research, 8(5): 992-1003.
Sudhir P and Murthy SDS. 2004. Effects of salt stress on basic processes of photosynthesis. Photosynthetica, 42(2): 481-486.
Sultana R, Ravagna A, Mohmmad‐Abdul H, Calabrese V and Butterfield DA. 2005. Ferulic acid ethyl ester protects neurons against amyloid β‐peptide (1–42) ‐induced oxidative stress and neurotoxicity: relationship to antioxidant activity. Journal of Neurochemistry, 92(4): 749-758.
Taarit MB, Msaada K, Hosni K and Marzouk B. 2010. Changes in fatty acid and essential oil composition of sage (Salvia officinalis L.) leaves under NaCl stress. Food Chemistry, 119(3): 951-956.
Uthairatanakij A, Teixeira da Silva J.A, Obsuwan K. 2007. Chitosan for improving orchid production and quality. Orchid Science and Biotechology, 1:1-5.
Vilumbrales DM, Skácelová, K and Barták M. 2013. Sensitivity of Antarctic freshwater algae to salt stress assessed by fast chlorophyll fluorescence transient. Czech Polar Reproduction, 3(1): 163-172.
Vosoughi N, Gomarian M, Ghasemi Pirbalouti A, Khaghani S and Malekpoor F. 2018. Essential oil composition and total phenolic, flavonoid contents, and antioxidant activity of sage (Salvia officinalis L.) extract under chitosan application and irrigation frequencies. Industrial Crops and Products, 117(1): 366-374.
Yousefzadeh S, Modarres-Sanavy SAM, Sefidkon F, Asgarzadeh A, Ghalavand A, Roshdi M and Safaralizadeh A. 2013. Effect of biofertilizer, azocompost and nitrogen on morphologic traits and essential oil content of Dracocephalum moldavica L. in two regions of Iran. Iranian Journal of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, 29(2): 59-61. (In Persian).
Zargari A. 2004. Medicinal plants. Tehran: Tehran University Publication, pp: 356-52.