Volume 17, Issue 4 (11-2025)
J Crop Breed 2025, 17(4): 82-91 |
Back to browse issues page
Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
Shokrollahi E, Baghaeifar Z, Darvishnia H, Asgari Nematian M. (2025). The Relationship Between Secondary Metabolites and Antioxidant Activity of Echinops kotschyi Boiss. under the Influence of Different Habitats. J Crop Breed. 17(4), 82-91. doi:10.61882/jcb.2025.1580
URL: http://jcb.sanru.ac.ir/article-1-1580-en.html
URL: http://jcb.sanru.ac.ir/article-1-1580-en.html
1- Department of Biology, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract: (732 Views)
Extended Abstract
Background: Nutrition is an important factor in improving the quantity and quality of plant products, and the soil provides most of the nutrients required by plants. In addition to nutrients, other factors, such as electrical conductivity, soil acidity, and salinity, are important in soil fertility in any region. The genus Echinops belongs to the Asteraceae family, which usually grows in habitats with high light, some humidity, subtropical areas, and different types of soils. These plants are wild and very important in terms of their chemistry and compounds. They have economic values, medicinal uses, and applications in agricultural and medicinal industries. This research investigated the effects of some environmental factors on secondary metabolites and antioxidant activity of Echinops kotschyi plant extract in three natural habitats in the west of Iran.
Methods: The aerial parts of E. kotschyi, including inflorescence and shoot parts, as well as the soil around the roots of the plant, were randomly collected from three stations: Eslamabad-e Gharb (Kermanshah province), Manshet-Qalarang, and Kabirkouh (Ilam province). Information about the station name, geographical coordinates, altitude above sea level, and other characteristics was recorded for each station. Powder was prepared from aerial parts of plant specimens after drying in the shade at room temperature. After preparing a methanolic extract from the inflorescence and shoot parts, the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and aluminium chloride were used to measure the total phenol and flavonoid contents of the extracts after being prepared as methanolic extracts. The antioxidant capacity was determined using the DPPH method. Soil samples were collected from the surface layer to a depth of 30 cm around the plant roots. The soil electrical conductivity, acidity, and the amount of plant nutrients were calculated using an EC meter, a pH meter, and aqua regia (mixture of HCl and HNO3), respectively. The statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS software package. A comparison of the data means was performed using Duncan’s multiple range test at a probability level of 5%. Results: The lowest and the highest soil electrical conductivity values were measured at the Kabirkouh station (3.13 dS/m) and the Manesht-Qalarang station (3.26 dS/m), respectively. Soil acidity (pH) varied between 7.28 at the Kabirkouh station and 8.81 at the Eslamabad-e Gharb station. The phosphorus content (8.55 ppm) was higher in the Kabirkouh station than in Manesht-Qalarang and Eslamabad-e Gharb stations. Kabirkouh contained more calcium and magnesium contents (1301 and 98.1, respectively), which were higher than the other two stations. The highest amount of sodium was 11.69 in the soil of Manesht-Qalarang, while the lowest amount was 7.8 at Kabirkouh. The Kabirkouh station had the highest amount of nitrogen (74 ppm), followed by the Eslamabad-e Gharb station (a value of 56) and Manesht-Qalarang (a value of 53), respectively. The highest total phenolic and flavonoid content belonged to the inflorescence part in the Kabirkouh station (1.31 ± 0.21 and 0.61 ± 0.12 mg/g DW, respectively), and the lowest content was found in the shoots of the Manesht-Qalarang station. The Manshet-Qalarang station was significantly different in the total phenolic and flavonoid extracts obtained from the shoot and inflorescence parts of the plant, and a significant difference between the habitats of Kabirkouh and Eslamabad-e Gharb stations (P < 0.05). The lowest amount (0.21 mg/ml) of IC50 (that is, the highest amount of antioxidant activity) was measured in the flowering part of the plant from the Kabirkouh habitat. A lower antioxidant activity was indicated by the highest IC50 value for the shoot part in the Manesht-Qalarang habitat, at 0.41 mg/mL.
Conclusion: Since plants are always exposed to environmental stress, they contain a variety of chemical compounds as antioxidants with different structures and functions. The results showed that the inflorescence part of the plant in the Kabirkouh station contained the highest amount of total phenol and flavonoids and the highest antioxidant activity (with a lower IC50 value). Kabirkouh's habitat may be more suitable for this plant due to its lower altitude, lower rainfall, and higher ambient temperature than the other two habitats. The living environment and climate of different regions have a significant impact on the content of bioactive compounds and their activity. Environmental and genetic factors affect the synthesis of secondary metabolites in plants, and it seems that genetic factors have a stronger effect than other factors. The Kabirkouh's habitat was less acidic in pH and conductivity than Manesht-Qalarang and Eslamabad-e Gharb's habitats. The Kabirkouh habitat contained more nutrients, such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and nitrogen, while the Manshet-Qalarang habitat contained more sodium. There is an inverse relationship between the synthesis of secondary metabolites and the amount of antioxidant activity with acidity, electrical conductivity, and the amount of sodium, and there is a direct relationship between other nutrients. The amount of certain nutrients in the soil, such as phosphorus, calcium, nitrogen, and potassium, is a factor in the production of secondary metabolites and plant active compounds, as well as the growth and development of the plant. Moreover, soil pH or acidity is another important factor in the production of plant active compounds due to its effect on the absorption of soil nutrients.
Background: Nutrition is an important factor in improving the quantity and quality of plant products, and the soil provides most of the nutrients required by plants. In addition to nutrients, other factors, such as electrical conductivity, soil acidity, and salinity, are important in soil fertility in any region. The genus Echinops belongs to the Asteraceae family, which usually grows in habitats with high light, some humidity, subtropical areas, and different types of soils. These plants are wild and very important in terms of their chemistry and compounds. They have economic values, medicinal uses, and applications in agricultural and medicinal industries. This research investigated the effects of some environmental factors on secondary metabolites and antioxidant activity of Echinops kotschyi plant extract in three natural habitats in the west of Iran.
Methods: The aerial parts of E. kotschyi, including inflorescence and shoot parts, as well as the soil around the roots of the plant, were randomly collected from three stations: Eslamabad-e Gharb (Kermanshah province), Manshet-Qalarang, and Kabirkouh (Ilam province). Information about the station name, geographical coordinates, altitude above sea level, and other characteristics was recorded for each station. Powder was prepared from aerial parts of plant specimens after drying in the shade at room temperature. After preparing a methanolic extract from the inflorescence and shoot parts, the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and aluminium chloride were used to measure the total phenol and flavonoid contents of the extracts after being prepared as methanolic extracts. The antioxidant capacity was determined using the DPPH method. Soil samples were collected from the surface layer to a depth of 30 cm around the plant roots. The soil electrical conductivity, acidity, and the amount of plant nutrients were calculated using an EC meter, a pH meter, and aqua regia (mixture of HCl and HNO3), respectively. The statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS software package. A comparison of the data means was performed using Duncan’s multiple range test at a probability level of 5%. Results: The lowest and the highest soil electrical conductivity values were measured at the Kabirkouh station (3.13 dS/m) and the Manesht-Qalarang station (3.26 dS/m), respectively. Soil acidity (pH) varied between 7.28 at the Kabirkouh station and 8.81 at the Eslamabad-e Gharb station. The phosphorus content (8.55 ppm) was higher in the Kabirkouh station than in Manesht-Qalarang and Eslamabad-e Gharb stations. Kabirkouh contained more calcium and magnesium contents (1301 and 98.1, respectively), which were higher than the other two stations. The highest amount of sodium was 11.69 in the soil of Manesht-Qalarang, while the lowest amount was 7.8 at Kabirkouh. The Kabirkouh station had the highest amount of nitrogen (74 ppm), followed by the Eslamabad-e Gharb station (a value of 56) and Manesht-Qalarang (a value of 53), respectively. The highest total phenolic and flavonoid content belonged to the inflorescence part in the Kabirkouh station (1.31 ± 0.21 and 0.61 ± 0.12 mg/g DW, respectively), and the lowest content was found in the shoots of the Manesht-Qalarang station. The Manshet-Qalarang station was significantly different in the total phenolic and flavonoid extracts obtained from the shoot and inflorescence parts of the plant, and a significant difference between the habitats of Kabirkouh and Eslamabad-e Gharb stations (P < 0.05). The lowest amount (0.21 mg/ml) of IC50 (that is, the highest amount of antioxidant activity) was measured in the flowering part of the plant from the Kabirkouh habitat. A lower antioxidant activity was indicated by the highest IC50 value for the shoot part in the Manesht-Qalarang habitat, at 0.41 mg/mL.
Conclusion: Since plants are always exposed to environmental stress, they contain a variety of chemical compounds as antioxidants with different structures and functions. The results showed that the inflorescence part of the plant in the Kabirkouh station contained the highest amount of total phenol and flavonoids and the highest antioxidant activity (with a lower IC50 value). Kabirkouh's habitat may be more suitable for this plant due to its lower altitude, lower rainfall, and higher ambient temperature than the other two habitats. The living environment and climate of different regions have a significant impact on the content of bioactive compounds and their activity. Environmental and genetic factors affect the synthesis of secondary metabolites in plants, and it seems that genetic factors have a stronger effect than other factors. The Kabirkouh's habitat was less acidic in pH and conductivity than Manesht-Qalarang and Eslamabad-e Gharb's habitats. The Kabirkouh habitat contained more nutrients, such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and nitrogen, while the Manshet-Qalarang habitat contained more sodium. There is an inverse relationship between the synthesis of secondary metabolites and the amount of antioxidant activity with acidity, electrical conductivity, and the amount of sodium, and there is a direct relationship between other nutrients. The amount of certain nutrients in the soil, such as phosphorus, calcium, nitrogen, and potassium, is a factor in the production of secondary metabolites and plant active compounds, as well as the growth and development of the plant. Moreover, soil pH or acidity is another important factor in the production of plant active compounds due to its effect on the absorption of soil nutrients.
Send email to the article author
| Rights and permissions | |
 |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
