Plant elicitation and TiO2 nanoparticles application as an effective strategy for improving the growth, biochemical properties, and essential oil of peppermint

Akram Shenavaie Zare; Ali Ganjeali; Mohammad Reza Vaezi Kakhki; Monireh Cheniany; Mansour Mashreghi

doi:10.1007/s12298-022-01215-2

Plant elicitation and TiO₂ nanoparticles application as an effective strategy for improving the growth, biochemical properties, and essential oil of peppermint

Physiol Mol Biol Plants. 2022 Jul;28(7):1391-1406. doi: 10.1007/s12298-022-01215-2. Epub 2022 Aug 6.

Authors

Akram Shenavaie Zare¹, Ali Ganjeali¹, Mohammad Reza Vaezi Kakhki², Monireh Cheniany¹, Mansour Mashreghi¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
² Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Iran.

Abstract

Mentha piperita L., which is an abundant source of essential oils (EO) and phenolic acids, is well known for its medicinal significance. The present research aimed to evaluate the impact of various concentrations of methyl jasmonate (MeJA; 0, 0.1, and 0.5 mM), titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs; 0 and 150 mg L^-1), and salicylic acid (SA; 0, 0.1, and 1 mM) on growth, EOs, and phenolic compounds of M. piperita L. The results demonstrated that the simultaneous application of SA (0.1 mM) and TiO₂ NPs (150 mg L^-1) enhanced shoot dry weight, the shoot length, and membrane stability index of peppermint by 56.17, 19.52, and 36%, respectively, compared to control. Moreover, phenolic content (76%), caffeic acid content (78%), rosmarinic acid content (87%), 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging ability (78%), and catalase (155%), ascorbate peroxidase activities (95%) were further improved by simultaneously applying MeJA (0.1 mM) and TiO₂ NPs (150 mg L^-1) compared to control. The highest menthol production (44.51%) was obtained with exogenous application of MeJA (0.1 mM) with 150 mg L^-1 TiO₂ NPs. The findings of the current study presented an ideal combination of TiO₂ NPs with plant growth regulators for promoting antioxidant activities and increasing major components of EO in peppermint plants.

Keywords: Antioxidant enzymes; DPPH; Medicinal plants; Menthol; Phenolic compounds.

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