Artemisia annua L. is a medicinal plant appreciated for the production of artemisinin, a molecule used for malaria treatment. However, the natural concentration of artemisinin in planta is low. Plant nutrition, in particular phosphorus, and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi can affect both plant biomass and secondary metabolite production. In this work, A. annua plants were ino- culated or not with the AM fungus Funneliformis mosseae BEG12 and cultivated for 2 months in controlled conditions at three different phosphatic (P) concentrations (32, 96, and 288 µM). Plant growth parameters, leaf photosynthetic pigment concentrations, artemisinin production, and mineral uptake were evaluated. The different P levels significantly affected the plant shoot growth, AM fungal colonization, and mineral acquisition. High P levels negatively influenced mycorrhizal colonization. The artemisinin concentration was inversely correlated to the P level in the substrate. The fungus mainly affected root growth and nutrient uptake and significantly lowered leaf artemisinin concentration. In conclusion, P nutrition can influence plant biomass production and the lowest phosphate level led to the highest artemisinin concentration, irrespective of the plant mineral uptake. Plant responses to AM fungi can be modulated by cost–benefit ratios of the mutualistic exchange between the partners and soil nutrient availability.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.