Increase in Artemisia annua Plant Biomass Artemisinin Content and Guaiacol Peroxidase Activity Using the Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus Rhizophagus irregularis

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to investigate Artemisia annua plant property variations in terms of plant biomass, glandular trichome numbers, artemisinin production and Guaiacol peroxidase (GPOX) activity when plants are in mutualism with AMF. According to the results, A. annua mutualism with AMF significantly increased the most important and pharmaceutically relevant factors of fresh and dry plant biomass. This increase, especially in the biomass of plant herba (leaves), was 30% higher during the vegetation period and remained high (29% higher than for control) when plants were harvested at the end of the vegetation period. Similar differences in dry biomass were also detected. Glandular trichomas numbers increased by 40%, and the artemisinin content by 17% under AMF colonization. No effects due to AMF on chlorophyll variations were detected, while GPOX enzyme concentrations increased significantly under AMF colonization. Altogether the Artemisia plant properties with high pharmaceutically importance (fresh and dry biomass of leaves and artemisinin, number of trichomes and the artemisinin content) were significantly improved by AMF, the application in Artemisia cultivation can be an effective and cheap method. The high GPOX activity under AMF colonization indicate an enhanced oxidative stress alleviation, therefore a higher resistance to water deficiency, mechanisms important under climate conditions with low water supply where Artemisia is usually cultivated.

Effects of mycorrhizae and water conditions on perennial ryegrass growth in rare earth tailings

“…Mycorrhizal plants are more adaptable under adverse conditions such as drought and saline.The activity of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) in the body is signicantly improved, which can slow down the oxidative damage of plants and enhance drought resistance. 37,38 The results of this study showed that the inoculated AMF mainly increased the enzyme activities (SOD, POD, CAT) to eliminate the accumulation of reactive oxygen species caused by drought stress, thereby reducing the damage caused by cell membrane lipid peroxidation. Studies have shown that inoculation can increase the CAT activity of Caragana korshinskii Kom.…”

Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhiza Influences the Histo-Anatomic Characteristics of Vegetative Organs in Artemisia annua

“…The plants (Artemisia annua Anamed A-3, Winnenden, Germany) were cultivated in 2017 in Corunca (Mureș County, 46°31'18.18''N and 24°35'53.78''E) as previously described in Domokos et al (2018)…”

“…Recent studies have shown that vesiculararbuscular mycorrhizae stimulate plant growth in case of Artemisia annua (Chaudhary et al, 2007;Kapoor et al, 2007;Awasthi et al, 2011;Huang et al, 2011;Tan et al, 2013;Fortin and Melchert, 2015;Giri, 2017;Domokos et al, 2018).…”

Successes of artemisinin elicitation in low-artemisinin producing Artemisia annua cell cultures constrained by repression of biosynthetic genes

“…As a secondary metabolite used mainly in defence mechanisms, production of artemisinin would naturally be induced and enhanced under environmental stresses. Under such adverse conditions the elevation of secondary oxidative stress, which is a consequence of primary biotic/abiotic stress, is in a direct synergistic relationship with artemisinin production [24–27]. On such basis, the biotechnological method elicitation which mimics the natural induction of plant stress is the method of choice to enhance the production of artemisinin.…”