Inducing cell wall-bound phenolic compounds by elicitors in eggplant (Solanum melongena)

• Published in: Applied biochemistry and microbiology Vol. 52; no. 6; pp. 650 - 656
• Main Authors: Mandal, S., Gupta, C. K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Moscow Pleiades Publishing 01-11-2016; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acids; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cells; Chitinase; Flowers & plants; Life Sciences; Liquid chromatography; Medical Microbiology; Metabolites; Microbiology; Phenols; Roots; Solanum melongena; Vitamins; chitosan; ferulic acid; salicylic acid; 4-hydroxybenzoic acid; vitamin B; eggplant
• ISSN: 0003-6838; 1608-3024
• DOI: 10.1134/S0003683816060120

We investigated the effect of elicitation on cell wall strengthening in eggplant roots caused by 6 elicitors viz., chitosan (
CH
), salicylic acid (
SA
), methyl jasmonate, methyl salicylate and vitamins B
2
and B
12
. Analysis of phenolic metabolites from eggplant roots by HPLC revealed presence of 6 major cell wall-bound phenolic compounds. They were 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (
4-HBA
), vanillic acid (
VA
), 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (
4-HBAld
), vanillin (
VAN
), 4-coumaric acid (
4-CA
) and ferulic acid (
FA
). In eggplant roots, the concentrations of FA, VA and 4-HBA were 188.71, 113.64 and 109.42 μg/g DW, respectively, and they were higher than those of 4-HBAld, VAN and 4-CA. When elicited roots were analyzed by HPLC, quantitative differences could be clearly discerned in the amount of the phenolic compounds. After 48 h post-elicitation (hpe) in the presence of CH, the increase in 4-HBA, 4-CA and FA contents in cell wall was 2.6-, 2.8- and 3.0-fold, respectively, compared with control. After 72 hpe, in the presence of SA, the increase in 4-HBA, 4-CA and FA levels was 3.5-, 2.9- and 3.8-fold, respectively, compared with the control. As the elicitors have specific receptors in plants, it may be possible to utilize CH and SA for inducing resistance against important diseases in eggplant.