Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and phosphorus concentration on plant growth and phenols in micropropagated Aloe vera L. plantlets

Abstract

The objective of this work was to investigate the effect of two arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and different phosphorus (P) concentrations on growth and phenolic concentration inAloe vera L. plantlets obtained from micropropagation. Plantlets were multiplied in vitro, acclimatized and inoculated with Glomus claroideum or Glomus fasciculatum at three P concentrations, that is, 0.3, 0.6 or 0.9 mM P. After 90 days in ex vitro, plant height, number of leaves, mycorrhization percent, fresh and dry weight, and total phenol, flavonol and flavanone concentrations in leaves was determined. Inoculating A. vera plantlets with G. fasciculatum reduced plant fresh and dry weight compared to the plants inoculated with G. claroideum or left uninoculated. The concentration of flavonols and flavanones increased whenA. vera plantlets were inoculated with both AMF with the largest increase found in G. fasciculatum. Mycorrhization percent decreased with increased P and the concentration of flavanones was lower in plants fertilized with 0.9 mM P than in those with 0.3 or 0.6 mM P. Key words: Flavonols, flavanones, Glomus claroideum, Glomus fasciculatum, total phenol concentration.