Effect of NPK and Actosol on the Growth, Essential Oil Production and Biochemical Composition of Zanthoxylum piperitum Plant.

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Ornamental Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.

2 Ornamental Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt

3 Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo university, Giza, Egypt.

Abstract

A pot experiment was carried out to study the effects of NPK and Actosol on plant growth , essential oil , chemical composition and antioxidant activity of Zanthoxylum piperitum plant, it was conducted under in saran greenhouse, at the Experimental Nursery of the Ornamental Horticulture Depart., Fac., of Agric. ,Cairo Univ., during 2018/2019- 2019/2020.The plants were fertilized with NPK at 12g/plant (100% recommended dose), 9 and 6 g/ plant ,sprayed with Actosol at 0, 1.5 and 2.5 ml/L. Treating plants with 6 and 9 g/plant NPK + Actosol at 2.5 ml/L, gave tallest plants ,highest No. of branches and significantly increased the fresh and dry weights of plants, in both seasons. Reducing NPK from 12 to 9 or 6 g/plant increased significantly essential oil% ,and had a positive effect in both seasons. Actosol at 1.5 ml/L gave the highest oil % ,while at 2.5 ml/l gave the highest oil yield /plant. Twenty compounds were identified by GC-MS )βphellandrene, cyclohexanol, germacrene-D , α-pinene, geranyl acetate and 1,8-cineole(, were the dominant compounds, which increased with NPK (12 ,9 and 6 g/ plant) + Actosol 1.5 ml/L, in the first season, respectively. Decreasing NPK doses combined with high rate of Actosol increased the phenolic contents. The highest flavonoids content was recorded in plants treated with NPK 9g/plant + Actosol 1.5 ml/L(first season) and NPK 9 g/plant (second one). The antioxidant profile indicated that the crude extract in plants received 12g/plant NPK showed the highest IC50 in both seasons.

Keywords

Main Subjects