Effect of methanol and ethanol foliar application on some growth characteristics and some of secondary metabolites thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.)

Document Type : scientific research article

Authors

1 M.Sc. Student of Medicinal Plants, Dept. of Horticultural Sciences and Engineering, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Sari

2 Assistant Prof., Dept. of Horticultural Sciences and Engineering, Faculty of Crop Sciences, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Sari

3 Associate Prof., Dept. of Horticultural Sciences and Engineering, Faculty of Crop Sciences, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Sari

Abstract

Background and objectives: The importance of medicinal plants in the development of various societies is increasing day by day. Garden thyme is one of the most important medicinal plants that has antiseptic, antispasmodic, anti-flatulence, diaphoretic, expectorant and sedative properties. According to the evidence available to improve the quality of plant products using alcohol spraying solution, realizing the effect of this type of nutrition on the quantitative and qualitative yield of medicinal plants and determining the optimal conditions for their production requires study and research. Studies have shown that the use of alcoholic treatments of methanol and ethanol as a foliar application increases yield, accelerates growth, increases secondary metabolites, reduces the effect of drought stress and reduces water requirements in some crops and medicinal plants. Due to the fact that the amount of absorption of these alcohols by the plant is directly related to their concentration, thus, achieving the desired concentration and how to use it, can have a significant impact on the growth of the plant. Therefore, the present study was performed to investigate different levels of methanol and ethanol alcoholic treatments on some morphological, physiological and phytochemical traits of thyme medicinal plant.
Materials and methods: This research was carried out as a factorial in the form of a complete randomized block design with 4 replications at Kelardasht. After placing the plant in the soil, four stages of foliar application were carried out with experimental treatments at one week intervals. Experimental treatments included ethanol with concentrations of 0, 10, 20, and 30% v/v, and methanol with concentrations of 0, 10, 20, and 30% by volume. Spraying of distilled water was also considered as a control treatment. Evaluated traits included morphological and physiological traits (plant height, number of internodes, internode length, stem diameter, root diameter, root height, leaf length and width and dry plant weight), and phytochemicals traits (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoids, anthocyanins, antioxidant activity, total phenol, total flavonoids, total sugars and non-reduced sugars). Data analysis of variance was performed using SAS software (ver 9.1).
Results: Based on the obtained results, the use of methanol and ethanol alcoholic treatments as a foliar spray solution increased all the measured traits compared to the control (distilled water). Examination of morphological and physiological traits revealed that the highest root diameter and leaf length were related to 20% methanol and 20% ethanol treatments. The internode possessed the highest length in the treatment of 20% methanol without ethanol application. Application of 30% methanol without using ethanol also resulted in maximum root height. Also, the highest dry weight of the plant (9.02 g) was observed in the treatment of 30% methanol with 20% ethanol; which was 1.8 times the control treatment. Evaluation of phytochemical traits showed that in all traits, increasing methanol and ethanol levels resulted in the best findings. So that; the highest levels of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoids, total sugar, and non-reduced sugars were obtained in the 20% methanol treatment with 30% ethanol. Also, the application of 30% methanol and 10% ethanol increased the amount of anthocyanins and antioxidant activity of the plant; which it was at a statistical level with methanol treatment at 20% and ethanol at 30%. An increase in methanol levels from 20% to 30% caused an increase in total phenol content in all ethanol application levels.
Conclusion: In order to produce garden thyme, the application of alcohol foliar spray such as methanol and ethanol can be helpful. Therefore, in addition to increasing the production of dry matter per unit area, it is possible to produce the desired amount of secondary metabolites with high quality and lower cost.

Keywords

References

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Journal of Plant Production Research
Volume 28, Issue 1
May 2021
Pages 213-229

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