Borage extracts affect wild rocket quality and influence nitrate and carbon metabolism

Market is increasingly demanding vegetables with high quality and nutraceutical characteristics. It was demonstrated that leafy vegetables can get benefit from biostimulants, for the reduction of nitrate concentration and the increment of antioxidants, with potential benefit for human health. The re...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Physiology and molecular biology of plants 2020-04, Vol.26 (4), p.649-660
Main Authors:	Bulgari, Roberta, Cocetta, Giacomo, Trivellini, Alice, Ferrante, Antonio
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Antioxidants Biological and Medical Physics Biomedical and Life Sciences Biophysics Carbon Carotenoids Cell Biology Chlorophyll Flowers Fluorescence Functional foods & nutraceuticals Gene expression Genes In vivo methods and tests Leaves Life Sciences Metabolism Nitrates Nitrogen Plant Physiology Plant Sciences Reduction Research Article Sucrose Sugars Vegetables
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Summary:	Market is increasingly demanding vegetables with high quality and nutraceutical characteristics. It was demonstrated that leafy vegetables can get benefit from biostimulants, for the reduction of nitrate concentration and the increment of antioxidants, with potential benefit for human health. The research purpose was to investigate on the role of a novel plant-based biostimulant in affecting nitrogen and carbon metabolism in wild rocket ( Diplotaxis tenuifolia L.). Foliar spray treatments were performed with extracts obtained from borage ( Borago officinalis L.) leaves and flowers. To evaluate the treatments effect, in vivo determinations (chlorophyll a fluorescence and chlorophyll content) were performed. At harvest, nitrate concentration, sucrose, total sugars, chlorophyll, and carotenoids levels were measured in leaves. In order to characterize the mechanism of action also at molecular level, a set of genes encoding for some of the key enzymes implicated in nitrate and carbon metabolism was selected and their expression was measured by qRT-PCR. Interesting results concerned the increment of sucrose, coherent with a high value of Fv/Fm, in addition to a significant reduction of nitrate and ABA than control, and an enhanced NR in vivo activity. Also, genes expression was influenced by extracts, with a more pronounced effect on N related genes.
ISSN:	0971-5894 0974-0430