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Abscisic acid, gibberellins and brassinosteroids in Kelpak®, a commercial seaweed extract made from Ecklonia maxima

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Abstract

The seaweed extract Kelpak® made from the kelp Ecklonia maxima is registered as a biostimulant for use in agriculture. It elicits many beneficial responses including improved root and shoot growth, higher yields and greater resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses. Previously, cytokinins, auxins and polyamines were identified in Kelpak®. The aim of the present study was to quantify other groups of plant growth regulators (PGRs)—abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellins (GAs) and brassinosteroids—that may be present in E. maxima and Kelpak®. Kelpak® samples harvested between 2008 and 2010 and stored for up to 26 months were analysed using ultra performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. ABA levels were below the limits of detection in E. maxima but were detected in low concentrations in Kelpak®, ranging from 0.31 to 20.70 pg mL−1 Kelpak®. Eighteen GAs were found in E. maxima and Kelpak® with concentrations from 187.54 to 565.96 pg mL−1 Kelpak®. The biologically active GAs (GA1, GA3, GA4, GA5, GA6 and GA7) comprised less than 3 % in Kelpak®. Although GA13 (a final product in the metabolic pathway) was present in low concentrations in E. maxima, very high concentrations were present in Kelpak®. The brassinosteroids brassinolide (BL) and castasterone (CS) were identified in E. maxima and Kelpak®. Concentrations varied with harvest and storage time, ranging from 384.72 to 793.23 pg BL mL−1 Kelpak® and 62.84 to 567.51 pg CS mL−1 Kelpak®. It is likely that this cocktail of natural PGRs present in Kelpak® may act individually or in concert and thus contribute to the numerous favourable physiological responses elicited by Kelpak® application to plants.

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Abbreviations

ABA:

Abscisic acid

BL:

Brassinolide

CS:

Castasterone

GAs:

Gibberellins

MRM:

Multiple-reaction monitoring

PGRs:

Plant growth regulators

UPLC-MS/MS:

Ultra performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

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Acknowledgments

The University of KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) and Kelp Products (Pty) Ltd are thanked for financial assistance. This work was further supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic [LK21306], the Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research [ED0007/01/01] and the Czech Grant Agency [grant no. 206/09/1284]. The authors also give sincere thanks to M.Sc. Marie Vitásková for her excellent technical assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Centre for Plant Growth and Development, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg Campus, P/Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3209, South Africa

    Wendy A. Stirk & J van Staden

  2. Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Palacký University and Institute of Experimental Botany AS CR, Šlechtitelů 11, 783 71, Olomouc, Czech Republic

    Danuše Tarkowská, Veronika Turečová & Miroslav Strnad

  3. Centre of the Region Haná for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Šlechtitelů 11, 783 71, Olomouc, Czech Republic

    Miroslav Strnad

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  1. Wendy A. Stirk
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  2. Danuše Tarkowská
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  3. Veronika Turečová
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  4. Miroslav Strnad
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  5. J van Staden
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Correspondence to Wendy A. Stirk.

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Stirk, W.A., Tarkowská, D., Turečová, V. et al. Abscisic acid, gibberellins and brassinosteroids in Kelpak®, a commercial seaweed extract made from Ecklonia maxima . J Appl Phycol 26, 561–567 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-013-0062-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-013-0062-z

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