High nitrogen inhibits biomass and saponins accumulation in a medicinal plant Panax notoginseng

Nitrogen (N) is an important macronutrient and is comprehensively involved in the synthesis of secondary metabolites. However, the interaction between N supply and crop yield and the accumulation of effective constituents in an N-sensitive medicinal plant Panax notoginseng (Burkill) F. H. Chen is no...

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Main Authors: Zhu Cun, Hong-Min Wu, Jin-Yan Zhang, Sheng-Pu Shuang, Jie Hong, Tong-Xin An, Jun-Wen Chen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: PeerJ Inc. 2023-02-01
Series:PeerJ
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Online Access:https://peerj.com/articles/14933.pdf
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author Zhu Cun
Hong-Min Wu
Jin-Yan Zhang
Sheng-Pu Shuang
Jie Hong
Tong-Xin An
Jun-Wen Chen
author_facet Zhu Cun
Hong-Min Wu
Jin-Yan Zhang
Sheng-Pu Shuang
Jie Hong
Tong-Xin An
Jun-Wen Chen
author_sort Zhu Cun
collection DOAJ
description Nitrogen (N) is an important macronutrient and is comprehensively involved in the synthesis of secondary metabolites. However, the interaction between N supply and crop yield and the accumulation of effective constituents in an N-sensitive medicinal plant Panax notoginseng (Burkill) F. H. Chen is not completely known. Morphological traits, N use and allocation, photosynthetic capacity and saponins accumulation were evaluated in two- and three-year-old P. notoginseng grown under different N regimes. The number and length of fibrous root, total root length and root volume were reduced with the increase of N supply. The accumulation of leaf and stem biomass (above-ground) were enhanced with increasing N supply, and LN-grown plants had the lowest root biomass. Above-ground biomass was closely correlated with N content, and the relationship between root biomass and N content was negatives in P. notoginseng (r = −0.92). N use efficiency-related parameters, NUE (N use efficiency, etc.), NC (N content in carboxylation system component) and Pn (the net photosynthetic rate) were reduced in HN-grown P. notoginseng. SLN (specific leaf N), Chl (chlorophyll), NL (N content in light capture component) increased with an increase in N application. Interestingly, root biomass was positively correlated with NUE, yield and Pn. Above-ground biomass was close negatively correlated with photosynthetic N use efficiency (PNUE). Saponins content was positively correlated with NUE and Pn. Additionally, HN improved the root yield of per plant compared with LN, but reduced the accumulation of saponins, and the lowest yield of saponins per unit area (35.71 kg·hm−2) was recorded in HN-grown plants. HN-grown medicinal plants could inhibit the accumulation of root biomass by reducing N use and photosynthetic capacity, and HN-induced decrease in the accumulation of saponins (C-containing metabolites) might be closely related to the decline in N efficiency and photosynthetic capacity. Overall, N excess reduces the yield of root and C-containing secondary metabolites (active ingredient) in N-sensitive medicinal species such as P. notoginseng.
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spelling doaj.art-a70f86dcaf0b49988eb78e739c1d1d4c2023-12-03T11:12:43ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592023-02-0111e1493310.7717/peerj.14933High nitrogen inhibits biomass and saponins accumulation in a medicinal plant Panax notoginsengZhu Cun0Hong-Min Wu1Jin-Yan Zhang2Sheng-Pu Shuang3Jie Hong4Tong-Xin An5Jun-Wen Chen6College of Agronomy & Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, ChinaCollege of Agronomy & Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, ChinaCollege of Agronomy & Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, ChinaCollege of Agronomy & Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, ChinaCollege of Agronomy & Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, ChinaCollege of Agronomy & Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, ChinaCollege of Agronomy & Biotechnology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, ChinaNitrogen (N) is an important macronutrient and is comprehensively involved in the synthesis of secondary metabolites. However, the interaction between N supply and crop yield and the accumulation of effective constituents in an N-sensitive medicinal plant Panax notoginseng (Burkill) F. H. Chen is not completely known. Morphological traits, N use and allocation, photosynthetic capacity and saponins accumulation were evaluated in two- and three-year-old P. notoginseng grown under different N regimes. The number and length of fibrous root, total root length and root volume were reduced with the increase of N supply. The accumulation of leaf and stem biomass (above-ground) were enhanced with increasing N supply, and LN-grown plants had the lowest root biomass. Above-ground biomass was closely correlated with N content, and the relationship between root biomass and N content was negatives in P. notoginseng (r = −0.92). N use efficiency-related parameters, NUE (N use efficiency, etc.), NC (N content in carboxylation system component) and Pn (the net photosynthetic rate) were reduced in HN-grown P. notoginseng. SLN (specific leaf N), Chl (chlorophyll), NL (N content in light capture component) increased with an increase in N application. Interestingly, root biomass was positively correlated with NUE, yield and Pn. Above-ground biomass was close negatively correlated with photosynthetic N use efficiency (PNUE). Saponins content was positively correlated with NUE and Pn. Additionally, HN improved the root yield of per plant compared with LN, but reduced the accumulation of saponins, and the lowest yield of saponins per unit area (35.71 kg·hm−2) was recorded in HN-grown plants. HN-grown medicinal plants could inhibit the accumulation of root biomass by reducing N use and photosynthetic capacity, and HN-induced decrease in the accumulation of saponins (C-containing metabolites) might be closely related to the decline in N efficiency and photosynthetic capacity. Overall, N excess reduces the yield of root and C-containing secondary metabolites (active ingredient) in N-sensitive medicinal species such as P. notoginseng.https://peerj.com/articles/14933.pdfNitrogenBiomassSaponinsEconomic yieldPanax notoginseng
spellingShingle Zhu Cun
Hong-Min Wu
Jin-Yan Zhang
Sheng-Pu Shuang
Jie Hong
Tong-Xin An
Jun-Wen Chen
High nitrogen inhibits biomass and saponins accumulation in a medicinal plant Panax notoginseng
PeerJ
Nitrogen
Biomass
Saponins
Economic yield
Panax notoginseng
title High nitrogen inhibits biomass and saponins accumulation in a medicinal plant Panax notoginseng
title_full High nitrogen inhibits biomass and saponins accumulation in a medicinal plant Panax notoginseng
title_fullStr High nitrogen inhibits biomass and saponins accumulation in a medicinal plant Panax notoginseng
title_full_unstemmed High nitrogen inhibits biomass and saponins accumulation in a medicinal plant Panax notoginseng
title_short High nitrogen inhibits biomass and saponins accumulation in a medicinal plant Panax notoginseng
title_sort high nitrogen inhibits biomass and saponins accumulation in a medicinal plant panax notoginseng
topic Nitrogen
Biomass
Saponins
Economic yield
Panax notoginseng
url https://peerj.com/articles/14933.pdf
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