Combined Application of 24-Epibrassinolide and Selenium Improves Essential Oil Content and Composition of Dragonhead (Dracocephalum moldavica L.). Issue 4 (4th July 2019) - Zaji, Bita
Abstract: The greenhouse experiment was carried out to investigate the response of Dragonhead ( Dracocephalum moldavica L.) to 24-Epibrassinolide (EBL) (0.0 and 0.5 μM) and selenium (Se) (0.0 and 10 μM) foliar applications. The essential oil from the aerial parts of Dragonhead was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC/MS. EBL and Se treatments had a promoting influence on essential oil (EO) accumulation and changed chemical constituents of Dragonhead. In general, the highest amount of essential oil was obtained in the plants treated with EBL+Se. The main constituent of the EO was geranial (33.46-36.29 %) followed by neral (24.18-26.03 %) and geranyl acetate (11.67-15.43 %) which the highest percentage of them were obtained in the plants treated with EBL and Se in combination. However, the most abundant chemical class was oxygenated monoterpenes (68.63-78.59 %) compared with the other chemical classes, and the highest percentage of these components was related to EBL-treated plants. Collectively, the present study demonstrates that EBL (5 μM) or Se (10 μM), particularly their combination, can generate the beneficial response in terms of production and compositions of EO in Dragonhead plants.