Effects of abiotic elicitors on the production of bioactiveflavonols in Emilia sonchifolia

Abstract

Background: The usage of plants as a source of medicine begins with the isolation of active biocompounds which are responsible for their therapeutic action. Research on flavonols has flourished in the last decade, fuelled by the recognized importance of natural antioxidants on health.Methods: Based on the meagre information reported on the effect of stress treatment on the production of flavonol metabolites, the current research attempted to investigate if heat (one-day for 6 hours at 45 °C)and drought stress (one week) could be used to enhance the production of three flavonols, including rutin,quercetin and kaempferol, in the tropical medicinal plant Emilia sonchifolia. The study focused on a novel elicitation approach to improve the therapeutic value of medicinal plants.Results: The increment in the antioxidant levels of Emilia sonchifolia was attributed to the increased accumulation of the three flavonols and total flavonoid content with strong scavenging ability against free radicals.Conclusion: Short-term heat stress and moderate water deficit proved as effective strategies to increase the rutin, quercetin and kaempferol contents in Emilia sonchifolia.