Growth and Phytochemical Content of Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. as Affected by Trinexapac-ethyl and Paclobutrazol

Authors

Department of Horticultural Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran

Abstract

Bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] is a perennial grass and has been long used as a medicinal herb in Iranian traditional medicine to treat varied ailments. Different parts of bermudagrass such as leaves, stolons, rhizomes and culms are rich sources of metabolites such as proteins, carbohydrates, mineral constituents, β-sitosterol, flavonoids, alkaloids, glycosides and triterpenoides. Growth regulators change plant physiological processes such as phytochemical accumulation. Paclobutrazol (PBZ) and Trinexapac-ethyl (TE) are two popular growth retardant that inhibit gibberellic acid (GA) biosynthesis.  This greenhouse experiment was conducted to determine effects of TE and PBZ application on bermudagrass growth and phytochemical content. Paclobutrazol was applied twice at four weeks intervals at 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 g a.i. (active ingredient) /100 m2 and TE treatments (0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1 g a.i. /100 m2) were applied biweekly over 8 weeks period.  Shoot and root growth, were decreased with increasing PBZ and TE application rates except for TE0.5 treatments that showed higher root growth than control plants.  Chlorophyll, Total non-structural carbohydrates, soluble flavonoids and protein content were increased with increasing PBZ and TE application rates unless TE1 treatment that exhibited lower total non-structural carbohydrates (TNC) content than untreated plants. The results suggest that TEand PBZ treatments were beneficial for bermudagrass phytochemical content enhancement. However, puclobutrazol application, because of higher phytotoxity than trinexapac ethyl (lower plant quality and sever shoot depression), seems to be less effective in raising medicinal properties.

Keywords


1. Singh Sk, Rai PK, Mehta S, Singh RK, Watal G. curative effect of cynodon dactylon against stz induced hepatic injury in diabetic rats. Indian JClin Biochem. 2009;24:410-413.
2. Mozaffarian V. Identification of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of Iran. Farhange Moaser, Tehran, 2013.
3. Rasool Hassan BA. Medicinal Plants (Importance and Uses). Pharmaceut Anal Acta. 2012;3:10.
4. Nagori BP, Solanki R. Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.: A Valuable Medicinal Plant. Res J Med Plant. 2011;5:508-514.
5. Ashokkumar K, Selvaraj K, Muthukrishnan SD. Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.: An updated review of its phytochemistry and pharmacology. J Med Plants Res. 2013;7:3477-3483.
6. Kavina J, Gopi R, Panneerselvam R. Traditional and Non-traditional Plant Growth Regulators alter the Growth and Photosynthetic pigments in Mentha piperita Linn. Int J Environ Sci. 2011;1:124-134.
7. Turgeon AJ. Turfgrass management. 5th Ed. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle Brook, NJ, 2002.
8. Vadakkemuriyil DN, Cheruth AJ, Gopi R, Gomathinayagam M, Panneerselvam R. Antioxidant potential of Ocimum sanctum under growth regulator treatments. EurAsia J Bio Sci. 2009;3:1-9.
9. Jaleel CA, Gopi R, Panneerselvam R. Alterations in non-enzymatic antioxidant components of Catharanthus roseus exposed to paclobutrazol, gibberellic acid and Pseudomonas fluorescens. Plant Omics. 2009;2:30-40.
10. Ratnadewi D, Satriawan D, Sumaryono M. Enhanced production level of quinine in cell suspension culture of Cinchona Ledgeriana Moens by Paclobutrazol. Bio Tropia. 2013;20:10-18.
11. Arghavani M, Kafi M, Babalar M, Naderi R. Improvement of salt tolerance in Kentucky bluegrass by trinexapac-ethyl. Hort Sci. 2012;47:1163-1170.
12. Nangle EJ, Gardner DS, Metzger JD, Street JR, Danneberger TK. Impact of Nitrogen Source and Trinexapac-ethyl Application on Creeping Bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) Physiology under Neutral Shade, Deciduous Tree Shade, and Full Sunlit Conditions. Hort Sci.2012;47:936-942. 
13. SAS Institute. SAS system for windows, version 8e. SAS Inst., Cary, NC., 2001. 
14. Qian YL, Engelke MC, Foster MJV. Salinity effects on zoysigrass cultivars and experimental lines. Crop Sci. 2000;40:488-492. 
15. Turgeon AJ. Turfgrass Management, 5th ed. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle Brook, N.J.,2002.
16. Lyons EM, Pote J, DaCosta M, Huang B. Whole-plant carbon relations and root respiration associated with root tolerance to high soil temperature for Agrostis grasses. Environ Exp Bot. 2007;59:307-313. 
17. Ting S. Rapid colorimetric methods for simultaneous determination of total reducing sugar and fructose in citrus juices. Agric Food Chem. 1956;4:263-266. 
18. Hiscox JD, Israelstam GF. A method for the extraction of chlorophyll from leaf tissue without maceration. Can J Bot. 1979;57:1332-1334.
19. Arnon DI. Copper enzymes in isolated chloroplasts. Polyphenoloxidase in Beta vulgaris. Plant Physiol. 1949;24:1-15.
20. Bradford MM. A rapid and sensitive method for the quantification of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein-dye-binding. Analytical Biochem. 1976;72:248-254.
21. Rademacher W.Growth retardants: effects on gibberellin biosynthesis and other metabolic pathways. Annu Rev Plant Physiol Plant Mol Biol. 2000;51:501-531.
22. Ferrell JA, Murphy TR. Duncan RR. Seashore Paspalum Response to Trinexapac-ethyl and Paclobutrazol. HortScience. 2003;38:605-606.
 22. McCullough PE, Liu H, McCarty LB, Whitwell T. Physiological response of “Tifeagle” bermudagrass to paclobutrazol. Hort Sci. 2005;40:224-226.
24. Ervin EH, Zhang X. Influence of sequential trinexapac-ethyl applications on cytokinin content in creeping bentgrass, Kentucky bluegrass, and hybrid bermudagrass. Crop Sci. 2007;47:2145-2151.
25. McCullough PE, Liu H, McCarty LB. Response of six dwarf-type bermudagrasses to trinexapac-ethyl. Hort Sci. 2005;40:460-462.
26. Gardner DS, Wherley B.Growth response of three turfgrass species to nitrogen and trinexepac-ethyl in shade. Hort Sci. 2005;40:1911-1915.
27. Ervin EH, Koski AJ. Trinexapac-ethyl increases Kentucky bluegrass leaf cell density and chlorophyll concentration. Hort Sci. 2001;36:787-789.
28. Sunitha S, Perras MR, Falk DE, Ruichuon Zhang R, Pharis P, Fletcher RA. Relationship between gibberellins, height and stress tolerance on barley seedlings. Plant growth regal. 2004;42:125-135.
29. Heckman NL, Gaussoin RE, Horst GL, Elowsky CG.Growth regulator effects on cellular characteristics of two turfgrass species. Int Turfgrass Soc Res J.2005;10:857-861.
30. Zhou WJ, Xi HF. Effects of mixtalol and paclobutrazol on  photosynthesis and yield of rape (Brassica napus). J. Plant Growth Regul.1993;12:157-161.
31. Ervin EH, Zhang X. Influence of sequential trinexapac-ethyl applications on cytokinin content in creeping bentgrass, Kentucky bluegrass, and hybrid bermudagrass. Crop Sci. 2007;47:2145-2151.
32. McCann SE, Huang B. Effects of trinexapac-ethyl foliar application on creeping bentgrass responses to combined drought and heat stress. Crop Sci. 2007;47:2121-2128.
33. Heckman NL, Gaussoin RE, Horst GL. Multiple trinexapac-ethyl applications reduce Kentucky bluegrass sod storage temperatures. Hort Technology. 2001;11:595-598.
34. Ervin EH, Ok CH, Fresenburg BS, Dunn JH. Trinexapac-ethyl restricts shoot growth and prolongs stand density of ‘Meyer’ zoysiagrass fairway under shade. Hort Sci. 2002;37:502-505.
35. Hull R. Energy relations and carbohydrate partitioning in turfgrass, In: Waddington DV, Carrow RN, Sherman RC (eds.) Turfgrass, Am Soc of Agron, Madison, WI, USA. 1992, pp. 175-205.
36. Beard JB. Turfgrass: Science and Culture. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1973.
37. Wang Z, Sun J, Li J, Zhu Y. Heat resistance enhanced by trinexapac-ethyl and benzyladenine combination in creeping bentgrass. Hort Sci. 2006;41:1711-1714.
38. Zheng R, Wu Y, Xia Y. Chlorocholine chloride and paclobutrazol  treatments promote carbohydrate accumulation in bulbs of Lilium Oriental hybrids ‘Sorbonne’. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B. 2012;13:136-144.
39. Hua S, Zhang Y, Yu H, Lin B, Ding H, Zhang D, Fang Z. Paclobutazol application effect on plant height, seed yield and carbohydrate metabolism in canola. International J Agric Biol. 2014;16:471-479.
40. Upreti KK, Shivu Prasad SR, Reddy YTN, Rajeswara AN. Paclobitrazol induced changes in carbohydrates and some associated enzymes during floral initiation in mango (Mangifera indica L.) cv. Totapuri. Indian J Plant Physiol. 2014;19: 317-323.
41. Han SW, Fermanian TW, Juvik JA, Spomer LA. Growth retardant effects on visual quality and nonstructural carbohydrates of creeping bentgrass. Hort Sci. 1998; 33:1197-1199.
42. John B, Sulaiman CT, George S, Reddy VRK. Total phenolics and flavonoids in selected medicinal plants from Kerala. Int J Pharm Sci. 2014; 6:406-408.
43. Srilatha V, Reddy YTN. Pruning and Paclobutrazol Induced Flowering and Changes in Phenols and Flavonoids of Mango (Mangifera indica L.) cv. Raspuri. J Eng Comput Appl Sci.2015;4:43-47.
44. Kavatagi PK, Lakshman HC. Biochemical Assessment on Three Medicinal Plants with Inoculation of Arbuscular Mycorrhiza and Growth Regulators. Academic J Plant Sci. 2011;4: 84-93.
45. Singh R, Sharma RA. Biochemical estimation of primary metabolites of Phyla nodiflora L. Greene. Int J Pharm Sci Rev Res. 2013;4:819-822.
46. Hegazi  AM, El-Shraiy AM. Impact of Salicylic Acid and Paclobutrazol Exogenous Application on the Growth, Yield and Nodule Formation of Common Bean. Aus J Bas Appli Sci. 2007;1:834-840.
47. Nouriyani H, Majidi E, Seyyednejad SM, Siadat SA, Naderi A. Effect of Paclobutrazol under Different Levels of Nitrogen on Some Physiological Traits of Two Wheat Cultivars (Triticum aestivum L.). World Appl Sci J. 2012;16:1-6.
48. Matysiak, K. Influence of trinexapac-ethyl on growth and development of winter wheat. J Plant Protect Res. 2006;46:133-143.