Moringa oleifera Leaf Extract Enhanced Growth, Yield, and Silybin Content While Mitigating Salt-Induced Adverse Effects on the Growth of Silybum marianum

Yun-Kiam Yap,Fadia El-Sherif,Eman S Habib,Salah Khattab

doi:10.3390/agronomy11122500

Yun-Kiam Yap, Fadia El-Sherif + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11122500

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Abstract

Silybin A and B are two major hepatoprotective flavonolignans produced predominantly in Silybum marianum fruits. Similar to other plant secondary metabolites, silybin production is enhanced by biotic or abiotic stresses under the expanse of plant growth and yield. In this study, a novel strategy for enhancing silybin production was investigated by applying a natural plant growth enhancer, moringa leaf extract (MLE), to the S. marianum plants cultivated under salinity abiotic stress. The experiment was conducted using a split-plot design with salinity as the main factor and MLE concentrations as the sub-factor. The individual and combined effects of salinity and MLE on the growth, yield, and silybin content of S. marianum were recorded. The MLE at concentrations of 5 g/L or 10 g/L was applied as foliar spray to S. marianum plants, which were irrigated with either tap water or saline (2000 ppm or 4000 ppm). Our results revealed that 10 g/L MLE effectively enhances the growth, yield, and silybin (A + B) content in S. marianum plants not exposed to salinity stress. On the other hand, for plants that were exposed to 4000 ppm salinity, the application of MLE was able to alleviate the salinity-induced adverse effects on some of the plant growth parameters but did not significantly increase their silybin (A + B) compositions. The current study also indicated that the increase in silybin contents was accompanied by the upregulation of the chalcone synthase 1 and 3 genes, which have been implicated in the synthesis of silybin.

Highlights

Secondary metabolites from many plant fruits and/or seeds are often good sources of bioactive compounds used in medicinal and pharmaceutical industries [1]
The increase in S. marianum plant growth and yield observed in plants cultivated without salinity stress supported previous reports from other plants species, which implies that moringa leaf extract (MLE) is a highly promising bio-stimulant [12,13,14,17,18,27]
We observed that MLE increased the silybin (A + B) compositions without significantly altering the total amount of methanolic extract produced from these plants; 5 g/L MLE produced the highest amount of silybin (A + B) compared with those without MLE spray or sprayed with 10 g/L MLE

Summary

Introduction

Secondary metabolites from many plant fruits and/or seeds are often good sources of bioactive compounds used in medicinal and pharmaceutical industries [1]. Silymarin is produced by the fruits of Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn (milk thistle, Asteraceae), an annual or biannual medicinal plant indigenous to the Middle East and Mediterranean regions. Secondary metabolites are synthesized in plants as responses to various biotic or abiotic stresses such as drought or salinity. Elicitation is the process in which abiotic or biotic stress factors are applied to plants, especially medicinal plants, to enhance their bioactive compound production. The elicitation of silymarin production in S. marianum by various elicitors has been documented [6,7,8,9]. One of the problems often faced in elicitation studies is the adverse effects of elicitors on plant growth or yield

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