Effects of Waterlogging Stress on the Physiological Characteristics and Secondary Metabolites of Herbaceous Peony (<i>Paeonia lactiflora</i> Pall.)

Abstract

Herbaceous peony is an ornamental plant with medicinal properties. Waterlogging can affect its yield and quality as it grows and matures. In this study, we subjected "Taohuafeixue", "Yangfeichuyu" and "Hongxiuqiu" herbaceous peony varieties to a simulated waterlogging stress treatment and investigated the effects of waterlogging on their physiological characteristics and the secondary metabolite contents in their leaves and roots. Short-term waterlogging caused the leaves to turn yellow or red and the roots to turn black. The stele and the cell wall of the endothelial cells thickened, and the cortical cells enlarged. Waterlogging did not significantly change plant height, leaf length, and leaf area; however, it significantly decreased the root-shoot ratio of "Yangfeichuyu" and "Hongxiuqiu" varieties. The activity of antioxidant enzymes and the content of osmotic regulators increased under waterlogging. After shortterm waterlogging stress treatment, the content of paeoniflorin and albiflorin increased in the roots of "Taohuafeixue" and "Yangfeichuyu", and the content of benzoylpaeoniflorin increased in the root of "Hongxiuqiu". The content of gallic acid and total flavonoids increased in the leaves of "Taohuafeixue" and "Yangfeichuyu". After the waterlogging, paeoniflorin and benzoylpaeoniflorin increased in the autumn root of "Hongxiuqiu". This study expands our knowledge about the medicinal properties of herbaceous peony and informs about its production and cultivation under waterlogged conditions.

Full-Length Transcriptome and RNA-Seq Analyses Reveal the Mechanisms Underlying Waterlogging Tolerance in Kiwifruit (Actinidia valvata)

“…To survive waterlogging stress, they have evolved various strategies including the formation of aerenchyma and adventitious roots at the morphological level [ 7 ] and molecular responses, as determined by RNA-Seq in Arabidopsis [ 8 ], cotton [ 9 ], sesame [ 10 ], and other plants. Increasing research is focused on the roles of key pathways involved in adaption to waterlogging stress [ 11 , 12 ].…”

The effect of the year on the steppe peony's morphological and ornamental traits

“…During the period from November 2022 to April 2023, monthly precipitation in autumn at the Deliblato Sands was in line with the multi-year average, while precipitation in winter and early spring was above average, especially in April when precipitation was 86% higher than usual. According to Liu (2021), roots of herbaceous peonies become black and the foliage turns yellow or red due to temporary waterlogging. While waterlogging had no effect on plant height, leaf length or leaf area, it reduced the root-shoot ratio of tested herbaceous peony (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.)…”

How does water stress affect the bioaccumulation of galanthamine and lycorine, growth performance, phenolic content and defense enzyme activities in summer snowflake (Leucojum aestivum L.)?

“…Wang et al ( 2019 ) indicated that the antioxidant enzyme activity (CAT, SOD, and POD) of Triarrhena sacchariflora Nakai was increased with WL treatments. Liu et al ( 2021 ) showed an increment in the activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, and CAT) in all varieties of P. lactiflora under WL stress.…”

“…Ghodke et al ( 2018 ) reported that WL stress adversely affected the plant growth like the plant height, leaf length and leaf area in onion ( Allium cepa L.). Liu et al ( 2021 ) exhibited that plant height, leaf length, and leaf area were not affected by WL stress in three cultivars of Paeonia lactiflora Pall. Manurung et al ( 2019 ) evaluated the effect of drought stress on the growth parameters of Ficus deltoidea Jack using 4 different water field capacity (40%, 60%, 80% and 100%-C) levels.…”