The application of a biostimulant based on tannins affects root architecture and improves tolerance to salinity in tomato plants

Abstract

Roots have important roles for plants to withstand adverse environmental conditions, including salt stress. Biostimulant application was shown to enhance plant resilience towards abiotic stresses. Here, we studied the effect of a tannin-based biostimulant on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) grown under salt stress conditions. We investigated the related changes at both root architecture (via imaging and biometric analysis) and gene expression (RNA-Seq/qPCR) levels. Moreover, in order to identify the main compounds potentially involved in the observed effects, the chemical composition of the biostimulant was evaluated by UV/Vis and HPLC-ESI-Orbitrap analysis. Sixteen compounds, known to be involved in root development and having a potential antioxidant properties were identified. Significant increase of root weight (+ 24%) and length (+ 23%) was observed when the plants were grown under salt stress and treated with the biostimulant. Moreover, transcriptome analysis revealed that the application of the biostimulant upregulated 285 genes, most of which correlated to root development and salt stress tolerance. The 171 downregulated genes were mainly involved in nutrient uptake. These data demonstrated that the biostimulant is able not only to restore root growth in salty soils, but also to provide the adequate plant nourishment by regulating the expression of essential transcription factors and stress responsive genes.

A Biostimulant Based on Seaweed (Ascophyllum nodosum and Laminaria digitata) and Yeast Extracts Mitigates Water Stress Effects on Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

“…In our experiment, we evaluated the influence of ERANTHIS ®® application on tomato morphometric, physiological and biochemical responses to mild water stress at flowering and fruit-set timing. One of the most evident effects of the reduction in water supply is the reduction in plant biomass and production yield in different vegetable crops, including tomato [43,44]. With regard to biomass, the same trend was observed in our study, with the strong decrease in shoot and root fresh weight in the stressed plants compared to those grown under optimal conditions at both the flowering and fruit-set sampling times.…”

Anti-Cancer Activity and Phenolic Content of Extracts Derived from Cypriot Carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) Pods Using Different Solvents

“…Recent reports suggest that carob seed extracts could potentially be a source of bioactive anti-oxidant compounds [ 48 ]. Even though the seeds, leaves and roots of different plant species have been mainly considered as food waste for years, they are now receiving attention for their bioactive constituents and their potential uses in the production of dietary supplements [ 7 , 49 ] or as sources of plant biostimulants [ 50 , 51 ]. Further characterization of the chemical composition of extracts derived from waste plant matrices is needed to reveal their full potential as possible sources of functional compounds [ 52 ].…”

Proanthocyanidins and Where to Find Them: A Meta-Analytic Approach to Investigate Their Chemistry, Biosynthesis, Distribution, and Effect on Human Health

“…Originally, the assay was studied with the aim to detect and quantify PACs from cranberry samples and correlate their content with potential antimicrobial activity against uropathogenic Escherichia coli [ 83 ]. However, after several experimental studies, the high reproducibility and analytical precision of BL-DMAC was demonstrated, also using different typologies of plant raw materials [ 96 , 97 , 98 , 99 , 100 , 101 , 102 ] and their derived products [ 47 , 64 , 103 , 104 , 105 ]. Since the PAC determination occurs at 640 nm, this assay is less affected by the presence of other phytochemicals, including anthocyanins [ 83 ].…”