The effect of the combined application of elicitors to Salvia virgata Jacq. under salinity stress on physiological and antioxidant defense.

Salinity stress is one of the most important stress barriers to crop production worldwide. Developing and implementing new strategies against salinity stress is critical for increasing agricultural productivity and supporting sustainable farming. Elicitors such as nanoparticles and Salicylic acid have recently been used potentially for better product yield. Therefore, in our research the Salvia virgata plant was exposed to salinity (NaCl) stress, and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONP), salicylic acid (SA), and the ZnONP + SA combination were applied to plants divided into different groups. While salinity stress decreased the amount of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoid pigments, SA, ZnONP, and SA + ZnONP elicitors combined with salinity stress enhanced the content of all three pigments. While salt stress raised MDA, H2O2, total phenolic, total flavonoid, soluble sugar and proline content, elicitor applications enhanced proline, soluble sugar, total phenolic and total flavonoid content more. Additionally, the application of NaCl + SA + ZnONP increased proline content by 21.55% and sugar content by 15.73% compared to NaCl application, while decreasing MDA content by 42.28% and H2O2 levels by 42.34%, thereby alleviating the plant's salt stress. It was revealed that DPPH, ABTS, and CUPRAC antioxidant activity sequence used to determine the total antioxidant activity displayed similarities, and it was found as NaCI + ZnONP > NaCI + SA > NaCI + SA + ZnONP > NaCI > Control. Furthermore, all elicitor applications increased CAT, GR, APX, and SOD enzyme activities while reducing oxidative stress in S. virgata plants. When all the data were evaluated, it was confirmed that SA and ZnONP had a synergistic effect and that SA and ZnONP have the potential to support plant development and growth under salinity. SA and ZnONP applications may have the capacity to least the detrimental impacts of salinity stress on plants. However, further research is needed to investigate the effectiveness of SA and ZnONPs in ameliorating salinity or different stress factors in various other plants.

Phytochemical profile and antioxidant capacity of the endemic species Bellevalia sasonii Fidan.

The study investigated total phenolic-flavonoid content, antioxidant activity, and phytochemical compounds across various parts (bulb, stem, leaf, and flower) of the endemic Bellevalia sasonii, commonly known as hyacinth, belonging to the Asparagaceae family. Phenolic content was highest in bulb extracts (117.28 µg GAE) and lowest in stems (45.11 µg GAE). Conversely, leaf extracts exhibited the highest flavonoid content (79.44 µg QEs), while stems showed the lowest (22.77 µg QEs). When the antioxidant activities were compared, by DPPH method leaf = flower > bulb > stem; in ABTS and CUPRAC methods bulb > flower > leaf > stem, respectively. Considering the results in general, it was revealed that bulbs and flowers displayed higher activity, while stem exhibited lower activity compared to other parts. The phytochemical analysis identified 53 active substances, with 27 absent in any extract and 15 detected across all extracts. The distribution of phytochemicals varied among parts, with bulbs, stems, flowers, and leaves also different numbers. The LC-MS/MS analysis revealed prominent metabolites including fumaric acid in leaves, caffeic acid in bulbs, and cosmosiin and quinic acid in flowers. This study provides foundational insights into B. sasonii, an important endemic plant in Türkiye, laying the groundwork for future research on its medicinal and ecological roles.