RESUMEN
Prohydrojasmon (PDJ) is a synthetic jasmonate derivative that is primarily used as a growth regulator, but its mechanism of action is unclear. In this study, we elucidated the effects of PDJ on phytochemical production in red leaf lettuce. The PDJ treatments promoted the accumulation of phenolic compounds in aerial plant parts. An LC-MS analysis revealed that these accumulated compounds were identified as cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, cyanidin-3-O-(6â³-O-malonyl)-glucoside and cyanidin-3-O-(6â³-O-malonyl)-glucoside methyl ester. The abundance of these compounds in lettuce extracts increased significantly in response to the PDJ treatment. Additionally, the LC-MS analysis also identified the accumulated phenolic compounds in the extracts of PDJ-treated lettuce, including caffeoyltartaric acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeoylmalic acid, chicoric acid, and dicaffeoylquinic acid. Gene expression analyses indicated the PDJ treatments upregulated the expression of PAL, F3H, and ANS genes in lettuce. These results suggest that PDJ treatments enhance the expression of genes involved in the synthesis of anthocyanins and phenolic compounds, resulting in an increase in the quantities of these compounds, which reportedly have various functions affecting human physiology.
RESUMEN
Prohydrojasmon (PDJ) can improve the polyphenol and anthocyanin content and antioxidant activity of some crop plants, but it also shows a suppressive effect on the plant growth. This study aimed to investigate the inhibitory effect of PDJ on the growth of two crop plants: komatsuna (Brassica rapa var. periviridis) and eggplant (Solanum melongena). We applied various concentrations of PDJ drip-wise or by spraying to eggplant and komatsuna seedlings and made detailed observations of growth. In general, no significant suppressive effect of PDJ was observed in the aerial parts in both plants. However, a significant inhibitory effect was found in roots treated with PDJ at concentrations of 600 and 1000 ppm. Interestingly, komatsuna treated with PDJ at a concentration of 200 ppm in both approaches resulted in a significant increase in root weight up to 37%. At a concentration range of 200-400 ppm, PDJ showed no inhibitory effects, and in some cases slightly promoted root growth. Therefore, this could be the recommended concentration range. We conclude that application of PDJ can still be beneficial to the vegetable crops without causing serious inhibition or suppression effects on the growth, as long as it is kept at rather low concentrations.
RESUMEN
Prohydrojasmon has been reported to improve the quality of crops. However, most previous studies have investigated its application on fruits. Here, we evaluated the effect of prohydrojasmon on the growth and total phenolic content, anthocyanin content, and antioxidant activity in komatsuna (Brassica rapa var. periviridis) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). Prohydrojasmon did not show any serious inhibitory effect. Prohydrojasmon applied to komatsuna at a concentration of 0.5 µM significantly increased the total phenolic content and anthocyanin content, and a concentration of 1 µM increased the antioxidant activity. In lettuce, prohydrojasmon at a concentration of 400 µM significantly increased the total phenolic content and anthocyanin content, while a concentration of 0.5 µM significantly increased the antioxidant activity. These results suggest that prohydrojasmon positively affects the phenolic compound and anthocyanin accumulation and antioxidant activity in komatsuna and lettuce without adversely affecting growth.