Bioactive molecules derived from smoke and seaweed Ecklonia maxima showing phytohormone-like activity in Spinacia oleracea L

• Published in: New biotechnology 2019-01, Vol.48, p.83-89
• Main Authors: Kulkarni, Manoj G., Rengasamy, Kannan R.R., Pendota, Srinivasa C., Gruz, Jiří, Plačková, Lenka, Novák, Ondřej, Doležal, Karel, Van Staden, Johannes
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Algae; Bioactive compounds; Biochemistry; Biological activity; Biomolecules; Biostimulants; Carotenoids; Chlorophyll; Crops, Agricultural - drug effects; Crops, Agricultural - growth & development; Crops, Agricultural - metabolism; Cytokinins; Cytokinins - metabolism; Dioxins - isolation & purification; Dioxins - pharmacology; Ecklonia maxima; Furans - isolation & purification; Furans - pharmacology; Growth; Hydroxybenzoates - metabolism; Leafy vegetables; Nutrient content; Nutritive value; Phaeophyceae - chemistry; Phytohormones; Plant growth; Plant Growth Regulators - isolation & purification; Plant Growth Regulators - pharmacology; Plant hormones; Plants (botany); Proteins; Pyrans - isolation & purification; Pyrans - pharmacology; Seaweed; Seaweed - chemistry; Seaweeds; Sinapic acid; Smoke; Smoke - analysis; Spinach; Spinacia oleracea; Spinacia oleracea - drug effects; Spinacia oleracea - growth & development; Spinacia oleracea - metabolism; Vegetables; Zeatin
• ISSN: 1871-6784; 1876-4347
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2018.08.004

•Foliar application of organic biostimulants was tested on spinach plants.•Smoke- and seaweed-based biostimulants improved photosynthetic pigments and proteins.•Eckol was the most effective treatment on spinach plants.•All tested biostimulants enhanced the level of the free phenolic sinapic acid.•These stimulants show good potential for growing functional food crops. Bioactive compounds such as karrikinolide (KAR1 from smoke) and eckol (from the seaweed Ecklonia maxima) show promising effects on several important crop plants. These plant growth-stimulating organic biomolecules, along with crude extracts (smoke-water and Kelpak® product prepared from Ecklonia maxima), were tested on spinach plants. Eckol sprayed at 10−6 M significantly increased all the growth and biochemical parameters examined compared to control spinach plants. All tested plant growth biostimulants significantly increased total chlorophyll, carotenoids and protein content of spinach leaves. The cytokinin profile of spinach plants was also determined. Cis-zeatin, dihydrozeatin and isopentenyladenine types of cytokinins were promoted by both smoke- and seaweed-based biostimulants. In comparison to the control plants, the level of free sinapic acid was greater in all spinach plants treated with these biostimulants. The application of these biostimulants can help spinach crop by improving growth, yield and nutritional quality; moreover, they are organic and cost-effective.