| Autor: |
Najar B; ULB-Faculty of PHARMACY, RD3-Pharmacognosy, Bioanalysis & Drug Discovery Unit & Analytical Platform of the Faculty of Pharmacy Bld Triomphe, Campus Plaine, CP 205/5, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium.; Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università di Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy., Zrig A; Laboratory of Engineering Processes and Industrial Systems, Chemical Engineering Department, National School of Engineers of Gabes, University of Gabes, Gabes 6029, Tunisia.; Faculty of Sciences of Gabes, University of Gabes, Omar Ibn Khattab Street, Gabes 6029, Tunisia., Alsherif EA; Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Sciences, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef 62521, Egypt., Selim S; Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jouf University, Sakaka 72341, Saudi Arabia., Aloufi AS; Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia., Korany SM; Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Helwan University, Cairo 11795, Egypt., Nhs M; Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Helwan University, Cairo 11795, Egypt., Aldilam M; Biology Department, College of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia., Bouqellah NA; Biology Department, Science College, Taibah University, Almadina 42317, Saudi Arabia. |
| Abstrakt: |
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and the antioxidant germanium (Ge) are promising tools for boosting bioactive compound synthesis and producing healthier foods. However, their combined effect remains unexplored. This study demonstrates the synergistic impact of AMF and Ge on the growth, metabolite accumulation, biological activities, and nutritional qualities of Spinacia oleracea L. (spinach), a globally significant leafy vegetable. Individually, Ge and AMF increased biomass by 68.1% and 22.7%, respectively, while their combined effect led to an 86.3% increase. AMF and Ge also improved proximate composition, with AMF-Ge interaction enhancing crude fiber and mineral content ( p < 0.05). Interestingly, AMF enhanced photosynthesis-related parameters (e.g., total chlorophyll) in Ge treated plants, which in turn increased carbohydrate accumulation. This accumulation could provide a route for the biosynthesis of amino acids, organic acids, and fatty acids, as evidenced by increased essential amino acid and organic acid levels. Consistently, the activity of key enzymes involved in amino acids biosynthesis (e.g., glutamine synthase (GS), methionine biosynthase (MS), lysine biosynthase (LS)) showed significant increments. Furthermore, AMF improved fatty acid levels, particularly unsaturated fatty acids in Ge-treated plants compared to the control. In addition, increased phenylalanine provided a precursor for the production of antioxidants (e.g., phenols and flavonoids), through the action of the enzyme phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), resulting in improved antioxidant activity gains as indicated by FRAP, ABTS, and DPPH assays. This study is the first to show that Ge enhances the beneficial effect of AMF on spinach, improving growth and nutritional quality, with promising implications for agricultural practices. |
