RESUMEN
Melatonin is an important plant growth regulator which plays a key role in plant growth and development. The objective of the current research was to evaluate the effect of foliar application of melatonin (MF) on photosynthetic efficiency, antioxidant defense mechanism, and its relation with leaf senescence in maize crop grown in a semi-arid region. A field experiment was conducted during 2017 and 2018 growth season, where melatonin was applied to the foliage at concentrations of 0 (MF0), 25 (MF1), 50 (MF2), and 75 (MF3) µM at the ninth leaf stage. Foliar application of melatonin significantly improved chlorophyll content, net photosynthetic rate, soluble sugar content, and soluble protein content during the process of leaf senescence. The application of melatonin also enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities including superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase, while reduced malondialdehyde and reactive oxygen species accumulation. Melatonin foliar application also increased total leaf area per plant, grains per ear, thousand grain weight and grain yield of maize crop in a semi-arid region. The application of melatonin significantly improved photosynthetic activity, antioxidant defense mechanism, and yield of maize crop in a semi-arid region, where the most effective treatment was MF2.
Asunto(s)
Antioxidantes/metabolismo , Melatonina/uso terapéutico , Fotosíntesis/inmunología , Hojas de la Planta/química , Zea mays/química , Melatonina/farmacologíaRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To determine the optimal extracting process of the volatile oil for Biyuan Dropping Pills. METHODS: Conditions for the extraction were studied by orthogonal design guided by the increasement of the volatile oil. RESULTS: The distilling time is the main factor,and the fineness of the herbal material is the second. The optimal process is as follows: crush the herbal material into coarse powder, macerate 1 hour with 9 times water and distill 4 hours. CONCLUSION: The optimized process is feasible and stable.