Abstract
Passiflora incarnata L. is a species of global pharmacological importance, has not been fully studied in the context of cultivation and management. It is known that silicon acts on abiotic stress and promotes phenols synthesis. The practice of mechanical damage is widely used in P. incarnata crops, and its interaction with silicon can have a significant influence on plant metabolism. Therefore, our objective was to investigate the effects of silicon and mechanical damage on photosynthesis, polyphenols and vitexin of P. incarnata. The experiment was conducted in a factorial design with SiO2 concentrations (0, 1, 2, 3 mM) and presence or absence of mechanical damage. It was found that mechanical damage improved photosynthetic performance at lower concentrations or absence of silicon. Moreover, this condition promoted an increasing in vitexin concentration when SiO2 was not provided. The application of 3 mM Si is recommended to increase polyphenols and vitexin, without harming dry mass of aerial part. The interaction between silicon and mechanical damage could be a tool to increase agronomic yield and commercial value of the P. incarnata crop.
Highlights
Passiflora incarnata L. is a species of global pharmacological importance, has not been fully studied in the context of cultivation and management
In the absence of mechanical damage, energy fraction absorbed by PSII antenna that is dissipated as heat (D) was higher and energy not dissipated and not used for the photochemical phase (Ex) was lower in plants subjected to 0 and 3 mM SiO2, which may indicate photoprotection (Fig. 1c,e)
P. incarnata plants with 1 and 2 mM S iO2 and mechanical damage were efficient in overcoming this damage and restoring themselves, which is observed in the high photochemical efficiency at 140 days after sowing (DAS) and high Anet/Ci, Anet and gs
Summary
Passiflora incarnata L. is a species of global pharmacological importance, has not been fully studied in the context of cultivation and management. Passiflora incarnata L. is a perennial tropical plant with a climbing herbaceous habit, whose center of origin is in the southeastern United S tates[1,2,3], being cultivated in other countries of the American continent, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia It is studied in the pharmacological field because presents chemical substances of interest to health and is a component of anxiolytic drugs[4,5,6,7]. While recent studies address the cultivation, nutrition and management of P. incarnata[15,16,17,18] few studies have focused on increasing bioactive molecules synthesis Beneficial elements, such as silicon (Si), are an alternative for a better performance of agricultural crops and their effects are observed in plants subjected to stress, presenting better photosynthetic performance, greater growth and phenolic compounds accumulation. These effects are explained by the greater activity of antioxidant enzymes and the phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), which acts in the pathway of phenols and other molecules with medicinal importance[19,20,21,22]
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