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Foliar application of elicitors enhanced the yield of withanolide contents in Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal (variety, Poshita)

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Abstract

This study involves a detailed investigation about the effect of three elicitors, such as chitosan, jasmonic acid and salicylic acid (SA) on withaferin A and withanolide A contents of Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal (Poshita variety). Moreover, the different environmental regimes were also studied to assess and optimise the accumulation of withaferin A and Withanolide A contents. In an open environment, the total withaferin A content was found to be increased 6.3 and 5.8 times when sprayed with chitosan, 10 ppm and 50 ppm, respectively, as compared to control. Similarly, the total withanolide A content was found to be increased 4.5 and 3.6 times when sprayed with jasmonic acid (400 ppm and 200 ppm, respectively) with respect to control. In a controlled condition, the total withaferin A content was found to be increased 6 and 4.5 times when sprayed with jasmonic acid (400 ppm and 200 ppm, respectively) as compared to control. On the other hand, the total withanolide A content was found to be enhanced by 7 and 4.3 times when sprayed with jasmonic acid (400 ppm) and SA (1 ppm), respectively, as compared to control. Therefore, this study was focussed on the optimisation of enhanced accumulation of withaferin A and withanolide A contents in the aerial parts of the plant in open and controlled environment by foliar application of elicitors in minimal concentrations.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge GBPIHED, Almora for providing the financial support in carrying out this research work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, C.B.S.H, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttrakhand, 263145, India

    Manali Singh & Sanjeev Agrawal

  2. Department of Biosciences, Manipal University Jaipur, Jaipur-Ajmer Express Highway, Dehmi Kalan, Near GVK Toll Plaza, Jaipur, Rajasthan, 303007, India

    Nitesh Kumar Poddar

  3. Department of Genetics, IARI, New Delhi, 110012, India

    Dipti Singh

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  1. Manali Singh
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  2. Nitesh Kumar Poddar
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  4. Sanjeev Agrawal
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Contributions

There is no conflict of interest of the authorship. The main work and data analysis were done by MS; the experiment was planned by SA while DS and NKP helped in writing the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Manali Singh.

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Singh, M., Poddar, N.K., Singh, D. et al. Foliar application of elicitors enhanced the yield of withanolide contents in Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal (variety, Poshita). 3 Biotech 10, 157 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13205-020-2153-2

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