INFLUENCE OF SOME PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS AND AMINO ACIDS ON GROWTH AND CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS OF AMMI VISNAGA L. PLANT.

Abstract

The effects of foliar application of different concentrations of amino acids (tyrosine and phenylalanine) and phenolic acids (trans-cinnamic acid, benzoic acid and salicylic acid) on vegetative growth and chemical constituents such as photosynthetic pigment content, hormones levels, carbohydrates content, nitrogenous content, nucleic acids, mineral content, total chromones, flavonoids, total phenols and essential oil content of Ammi visnaga L. were carried out during two successive seasons. It is clear that foliar application of either amino acids or phenolics were significantly promoted the growth parameters in terms of shoot height, fresh and dry biomass, number of branches and number of umbels per plant. The increment of growth parameter was associated with elevated levels of growth promoters (IAA, GA3, total cytokinins) , total carbohydrates, total proteins and total free amino acids as well as Fe, Mg and Cu ions contents. Likewise, the total nucleic acids, the total phenols, total flavonoides, total chromones and the activities of some antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, POX and PAL) as well as the total antioxidant capacity were markedly increased in A. visnga plants treated with amino acids and phenolic compounds. The greatest increase in the previously mention parameters was displayed in plants exposed to different concentration of phenols particularly benzoic acid. Such effect was depended upon the concentration used. The applied treatments also, resulted in significant increments in yield seeds and oil content. Moreover, gas liquid chromatographic analysis revealed that the main identified components of essential oil were 2,2-dimethyl butanoic acid, isobutyl isobutyrate, α-isophorone, thymol, fenchyl acetate and linalool. Phenolics and amino acids treatments resulted in qualitative differences in such oil components.