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Chitosan-Mediated Changes in dry Matter, Total Phenol Content and Essential Oil Constituents of two Origanum Species under Water Deficit Stress

Chitosan-vermittelte Veränderungen der Trockenmasse, des Gesamtphenolgehalts und der ätherischen Ölbestandteile zweier Origanum-Arten unter Wasserstress

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Abstract

Origanum is one of the most important medicinal plants used worldwide due to the economic importance, quantity and quality of essential oil and antioxidant properties. Drought is one of the major abiotic stresses that cause deleterious damage to plants. As a bio-elicitor, chitosan prevents severe damage to plants under stress conditions by triggering plant defense mechanisms. To investigate the effects of chitosan application and water deficit stress on growth, yield and secondary metabolites of origanum, a greenhouse study was performed in a factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The studied factors consisted of foliar application of chitosan at three levels (0, 250 and 500 mg/L), under well-watered and water deficit stress conditions in two origanum species (Origanum majorana and Origanum vulgare). The application of water deficit stress and foliar treatment with chitosan (three steps) was performed three weeks before flowering. Results showed that the water deficit stress reduced the plant dry weight, while increased total phenol and essential oil contents. However, foliar application of chitosan at 500 mg/L under water deficit stress conditions increased dry weight of shoots, and phenol content. Application of chitosan at 250 mg/L increased the content of essential oil compared to the control. Results also showed that application of chitosan as a bio-elicitor can reduce the adverse effects of water deficit stress on marjoram plant. The analysis of GC/MS apparatus revealed that 33 compounds were identified in essential oil, in which γ‑terpinene, cis-sabinene hydrate and terpinolene were the dominant in the oil of both origanum species.

Zusammenfassung

Origanum-Arten zählen aufgrund der wirtschaftlichen Bedeutung, der Menge und Qualität des ätherischen Öls und der antioxidativen Eigenschaften zu den wichtigsten weltweit verwendeten Heilpflanzen. Trockenheit ist eine der größten abiotischen Belastungen, die Schäden an Pflanzen verursachen. Chitosan verhindert unter Stressbedingungen schwere Schäden an Pflanzen, indem es pflanzliche Abwehrmechanismen auslöst. Um die Auswirkungen der Chitosan-Applikation und des Wasserstresses auf Wachstum, Ertrag und sekundäre Metaboliten von Origanum zu untersuchen, wurde eine Gewächshausstudie in einem faktoriellen Experiment auf der Grundlage eines randomisierten vollständigen Blockdesigns (RCBD) mit drei Replikationen durchgeführt. Die untersuchten Faktoren bestanden aus einer Blattapplikation von Chitosan in drei Konzentrationen (0, 250 und 500 mg/L), unter gut bewässerten und Wasserdefizit-Bedingungen bei zwei Origanum-Arten (Origanum majorana und Origanum vulgare). Der Wasserstress und die Blattbehandlung mit Chitosan (drei Schritte) wurden drei Wochen vor der Blüte durchgeführt. Die Ergebnisse zeigten, dass der Wasserstress das Trockengewicht der Pflanze reduzierte, während der Gesamtgehalt an Phenol und ätherischen Ölen stieg. Die Blattapplikation von 500 mg/L Chitosan unter Wasserdefizit-Bedingungen erhöhte jedoch das Trockengewicht der Triebe und den Phenolgehalt. Die Anwendung von Chitosan in einer Konzentration von 250 mg/L erhöhte den Gehalt an ätherischem Öl im Vergleich zur Kontrolle. Die Ergebnisse zeigten auch, dass die Anwendung von Chitosan als Bio-Elicitor die nachteiligen Auswirkungen von Wasserstress auf die Majoranpflanze reduzieren kann. Die Analyse der GC/MS-Apparatur ergab, dass 33 Verbindungen im ätherischen Öl identifiziert wurden, wobei γ‑Terpinen, cis-Sabinenhydrat und Terpinolen im Öl beider Origanum-Arten dominierten.

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Acknowledgements

This study was financially supported by Deputy of Research and Technology of Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University (99/D/897), Tabriz, Iran.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Agriculture, Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University, Tabriz, Iran

    Hamid Mohammadi & Leila Aghaee Dizaj

  2. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Maragheh, Maragheh, Iran

    Ahmad Aghaee

  3. Department of Medicinal Plants, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Arak University, Arak, Iran

    Mansour Ghorbanpour

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  1. Hamid Mohammadi
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Correspondence to Hamid Mohammadi or Mansour Ghorbanpour.

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H. Mohammadi, L. Aghaee Dizaj, A. Aghaee and M. Ghorbanpour declare that they have no competing interests.

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Mohammadi, H., Aghaee Dizaj, L., Aghaee, A. et al. Chitosan-Mediated Changes in dry Matter, Total Phenol Content and Essential Oil Constituents of two Origanum Species under Water Deficit Stress. Gesunde Pflanzen 73, 181–191 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10343-020-00536-0

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