Elicitation Improves the Leaf Area, Enzymatic Activities, Antioxidant Activity and Content of Secondary Metabolites in Achillea millefolium L. Grown in the Field

• Published in: Journal of plant growth regulation Vol. 40; no. 4; pp. 1652 - 1666
• Main Authors: Gorni, Pedro Henrique, Pacheco, Ana Cláudia, Lima Moro, Adriana, Silva, Jonathan Fogaça Albuquerque, Moreli, Ronaldo Rossetti, de Miranda, Giovani Rodrigues, Pelegrini, Juler Martins, Zaniboni, Camila Baptistão, Spera, Kamille Daleck, Bronzel Junior, João Luiz, da Silva, Regildo Márcio Gonçalves
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.08.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Achillea millefolium; Agriculture; Ammonia; Antioxidants; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Chalcone synthase; Enzymatic activity; Foliar applications; High-performance liquid chromatography; Leaf area; Leaves; Life Sciences; Liquid chromatography; Metabolism; Metabolites; Phenolic compounds; Phenols; Phenylalanine; Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase; Plant Anatomy/Development; Plant extracts; Plant Physiology; Plant Sciences; Plants; Polyphenols; Quinic acid; Rutin; Salicylic acid; Secondary metabolites; Salicylic acid; HPLC–DAD–MS/MS; Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase; Phenolic compounds; Chalcone synthase
• ISSN: 0721-7595; 1435-8107
• DOI: 10.1007/s00344-020-10217-x

Salicylic acid (SA) is a plant hormone that stimulates the growth and metabolism of plants, also acting as an abiotic elicitor. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of SA on leaf production, leaf area and synthesis of secondary compounds in yarrow plants. The experiments were conducted under field conditions in two consecutive years and f-received SA foliar applications (T1-control; T2-1.0 mmol L −1 applications at 20, 60 and 100 days after planting (DAP) and T3-1.0 mmol L −1 applications at 100 DAP during 3 days). The exogenous application of SA resulted in increases in leaf area (total and specific), number of leaves and leaf mass ratio of yarrow plants, polyphenolic compounds, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and chalcone synthase enzymes and the antioxidant activity of the plant extract. The HPLC–DAD–MS/MS analysis of phenolic compounds revealed increases in the amounts of quinic acid and rutin. The results of this research lead us to affirm that SA exerted both the hormonal effect on number of leaves and leaf area, and also acted as eliciting substance.