Salicylic Acid Spraying Affects Secondary Metabolites and Radical Scavenging Capacity of Drought-Stressed Eriocephalus africanus L.

Abstract

Drought is among the most common abiotic stresses that significantly influence plants’ growth and metabolic activities. In this study, Eriocephalus africanus L. (Asteraceae) was exposed to three levels of drought stress (irrigation with 75, 50, and 25% field capacity), together with foliar spraying of a plant hormone, salicylic acid (1, 2, and 3 mM SA), to observe the effect of drought stress and SA on its secondary metabolites. These growing conditions efficiently affected its total flavonoid and polyphenol contents (TFC and TPC, respectively). TFC and TPC increased by 53% and 35%, respectively, in stressed plants. Consequently, the radical scavenging activity improved by 140%. UPLC-ESI-MS/MS profiles of the extracts of control and stressed plants were assessed. Among identified polyphenols, 3,4-dicaffeoylquinic acid predominated in both samples, although it was detected in a greater percentage of stressed plants. Essential oils hydro-distilled from the plants showed a higher yield (1.05 ± 0.03% v/w) in stressed plants. Artemisia ketone prevailed in all oil samples’ GC/MS chromatograms, with a higher yield (42%) recorded in stressed plants. In conclusion, drought stress and SA spraying triggered the production of phenolic and essential oil components and increased the radical scavenging activity of E. africanus. Thus, agricultural conditions are optimized to provide a continuous supply of plant materials with appropriate amounts of bioactive constituents for economic industrialization.

The Biological Properties of the Essential Oil from the Jordan Accession of Phagnalon sinaicum Bornm. & Kneuck.

“…Among the sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, β-sesquiphellandrene has never been detected in any other Phagnalon accession and, in this case, germacrene D, present in high quantities in the Turkish species of P. graecum (21.30%) [22] and P. sordidum (3.12-7.65%) [20,21], was totally absent. The compounds identified, like artemisia ketone and santolina alcohol, are biogenetically irregular derivatives and have been identified in several species of the genus Artemisia and Santolina [23], Achillea [24], and Ericephalus [25]. These two compounds were both identified only in one EO of the Phagnalon species, collected in the state of Israel [26] and were very similar qualitatively to PSEO.…”

Phytohormones Promote the Growth, Pigment Biosynthesis and Productivity of Green Gram [Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek]

“…Along with promoting growth, it also serves as a signal molecule that increases plant tolerance to various biotic and abiotic stresses [12,[21][22][23][24]. Exogenously applied SA regulates plant growth by optimizing glycolysis, ion uptake, stomatal conductance, photosynthesis and transpiration and biosynthesizing numerous enzymatic and nonenzymatic compounds [25][26][27][28]. It has been inferred previously that the effectiveness of foliar-applied SA remained dependent on its dose and plant species.…”

Phytochemical Profiling of Javanese Ginseng (Talinum paniculatum) Stem Extract Using GC-MS Analysis and Pharmacological Potential

“…In recent decades, they have become a fundamental ingredient in the health products industry. 1 It is estimated that a considerable percentage, ranging from 70-90%, of the global population relies on herbal medicine to address their health problems. 2 Therefore, it is crucial to conduct extensive studies to investigate and determine the bioactive compounds in traditional and local medicinal plants that can be used to design modern medicines.…”