Melatonin Enhanced Drought Stress Tolerance and Productivity of Pelargonium graveolens L. (Herit) by Regulating Physiological and Biochemical Responses
Ragia M. Mazrou; Fahmy A. S. Hassan; Mansour, Mohamed Magdy F.; Mohamed M. Moussa;
Abstract
As a type of abiotic stress, drought limits plant growth and productivity. The increased
demand for the valuable essential oil extracted from geranium (Pelargonium graveolens L.) is mainly
regulated by plant growth, which is adversely affected by drought. Melatonin (MT) has been used
to enhance plant growth under various abiotic stresses, although its impact on overcoming drought
stress in aromatic plants, including geranium, has not yet been investigated. In the current investi gation, MT at 100 µM was applied at 100% (well-watered) or 50% (drought stress) field capacity to
verify the role of MT in geranium under drought stress. Drought stress markedly reduced growth
parameters, herb yield, and total chlorophyll content; however, MT alleviated these effects. The herb
yield of the stressed plants was reduced by 59.91% compared to the unstressed plants, while this
reduction was only 14.38% when MT was applied. In contrast, drought enhanced the essential oil
percentage in geranium leaves. Despite the reduction in oil yield caused by drought, MT application
mitigated this reduction and improved both oil yield and oil components. Moreover, the MT treat ment enhanced the accumulation of total phenols, glutathione, and proline and improved the activ ity of ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, and glutathione reductase, resulting in the alleviation of
drought-induced oxidative damage. Consequently, MT reduced both hydrogen peroxide and
malondialdehyde accumulation by 71.11 and 48.30%, respectively, under drought, thereby maintaining the cellular structures’ integrity. Overall, this is the first report that reveals the ability of MT
application to improve geranium oil yield and resistance to drought by enhancing the antioxidant
defense system. The results enrich awareness regarding the potential benefits of the external application of MT and its roles that can help researchers to improve aromatic plants’ performance and
productivity under drought stress.
demand for the valuable essential oil extracted from geranium (Pelargonium graveolens L.) is mainly
regulated by plant growth, which is adversely affected by drought. Melatonin (MT) has been used
to enhance plant growth under various abiotic stresses, although its impact on overcoming drought
stress in aromatic plants, including geranium, has not yet been investigated. In the current investi gation, MT at 100 µM was applied at 100% (well-watered) or 50% (drought stress) field capacity to
verify the role of MT in geranium under drought stress. Drought stress markedly reduced growth
parameters, herb yield, and total chlorophyll content; however, MT alleviated these effects. The herb
yield of the stressed plants was reduced by 59.91% compared to the unstressed plants, while this
reduction was only 14.38% when MT was applied. In contrast, drought enhanced the essential oil
percentage in geranium leaves. Despite the reduction in oil yield caused by drought, MT application
mitigated this reduction and improved both oil yield and oil components. Moreover, the MT treat ment enhanced the accumulation of total phenols, glutathione, and proline and improved the activ ity of ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, and glutathione reductase, resulting in the alleviation of
drought-induced oxidative damage. Consequently, MT reduced both hydrogen peroxide and
malondialdehyde accumulation by 71.11 and 48.30%, respectively, under drought, thereby maintaining the cellular structures’ integrity. Overall, this is the first report that reveals the ability of MT
application to improve geranium oil yield and resistance to drought by enhancing the antioxidant
defense system. The results enrich awareness regarding the potential benefits of the external application of MT and its roles that can help researchers to improve aromatic plants’ performance and
productivity under drought stress.
Other data
Title | Melatonin Enhanced Drought Stress Tolerance and Productivity of Pelargonium graveolens L. (Herit) by Regulating Physiological and Biochemical Responses | Authors | Ragia M. Mazrou; Fahmy A. S. Hassan; Mansour, Mohamed Magdy F. ; Mohamed M. Moussa | Keywords | essential oil;enzymatic antioxidants;drought;glutathione;lipid peroxidation;proline | Issue Date | 11-Nov-2023 | Publisher | MDPI | Journal | Horticulturae | Volume | 9 | Issue | 11 | DOI | https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9111222 |
Attached Files
File | Description | Size | Format | Existing users please Login |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mansour, melatonin23.pdf | 402.62 kB | Adobe PDF | Request a copy |
Similar Items from Core Recommender Database
Items in Ain Shams Scholar are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.