Assessment of Physiological and Phytochemical Traits of Purple Coneflower (<i>Echinacea purpurea</i> L. Moench) in Response to Salicylic Acid and Methyl Jasmonate Application

Abstract

Salicylic-acid and methyl-jasmonate are phytohormonal eilicitors that play important roles in regulating a number of physiological and phytochemical processes. For this purpose, a research was conducted as factorial based on complete randomized block design (CRBD) with three replications at the research field of agricultural faculty of Zanjan university during farming years of 2017～2018 and 2018～2019. The first factor was salicylic-acid (0 (control), 50, 100 and 150 mM) and the second factor was methyl-jasmonate (0 (control), 50, 100 and 200 µM). In the first year of experiment, treatments were sprayed on plants (four plants per plot) in two stages (20 days apart). In the second year they were also sprayed on remaining plants as the first year. Results of ANOVA as factorial-split in time showed that at the level of one percent (p<0.01), the effect of salicylic-acid on catalase, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase enzymes traits and the effect of methyl-jasmonate on antioxidant activity and catalase enzyme traits and the interaction of salicylic-acid and methyl-jasmonate on antioxidant activity, catalase, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase enzymes traits were significant. Also, at the level of five percent (p<0.05), the effects of methyl-jasmonate on superoxide dismutase enzyme trait was significant. The interaction of salicylic-acid and methyl-jasmonate factor was also significant on total protein trait at the level of 10 percent (p<0.1). The highest amount of chlorogenic acid in the first year was in the treatment of 100 mM of salicylic-acid and 50 μM of methyl-jasmonate and the highest amount in the second year was in the treatment of 100 mM of salicylic-acid and 100 μM of methyl-jasmonate. Also, the highest amount of chicoric acid in the both years was in the treatment of 100 mM of salicylic-acid and 100 μM of methyl-jasmonate.

Interactive effects of salicylic acid and jasmonic acid on secondary metabolite production in Echinacea purpurea

“…This is an interaction between SA and JA, which implies the co-potentiated production of ROS by these elicitors. Our results are in agreement with the findings that have been reported previously (Mohebby et al, 2021).…”

“…In comparison with control, eight combinations of SA_JA levels, especially 0.5 millimole SA_20 micromole JA (1.47 folds of control), caused up-regulation of TPC (Figure 7). In previous studies on purple coneflower, the methyl jasmonate and SA have also increased two derivatives of phenolic compounds, including chlorogenic acid (Mohebby et al, 2021). Generally speaking, in the present study JA and SA elicitation activated the defense responses of purple coneflower, thereby up-regulated the production of all measured secondary metabolites which have commercial and industrial values.…”

“…Additional studies on the application of elicitors to field-grown purple coneflower would also be useful, since effects may differ considerably under the diversity of field conditions (Parsons et al, 2018). Recently, Mohebby et al (2021) assessed the effect of SA and methyl jasmonate on three antioxidant enzymes (catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase), chicoric acid, and chlorogenic acid content of fieldgrown purple coneflower. The present field experiment aimed to study the effect of SA and JA on some other secondary metabolites of purple coneflower.…”