THE EFFECT OF CHITOSAN ON GENE EXPRESSION, SOME MORPHOLOGICAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL TRAITS OF SWEET BASIL (Ocimum basilicum L.) UNDER SALINITY STRESS

Nastaran Rashidi

Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

Ramezan Ali Khavari-Nejad

Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

Parvin Ramak

Research Division of Natural Resources, Lorestan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Khorramabad, Iran

Sara Saadatmand

Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran


Abstract

Sweet basil is an important medicinal plant belonging to Lamiaceae family. In this plant, Phenylpropanoid pathway possesses some enzymes involving in generating suitable essential oil constituents. The main purpose of conducting this study was to investigate the effects of chitosan on sweet basil’s growth and physiological parameters as well as gene expression subjected to salinity stress. After employing a foliar-spray of chitosan at 0 (as control) and 0.2 gl–1, the plants were subjected to salinity treatments at 0, 25, 50, 100, and 150 mM NaCl. The results of this research revealed that chitosan, compared to the controls, improved growth parameters under stressed or non-stressed conditions. In this regard, chitosan increased protein and chlorophyll contents as well as the expression of PAL and COVMT genes leading to an increase in phenolic compounds. To sum up, chitosan improved sweet basil tolerance to salinity through influencing the genes involved in the pathway of phenylpropanoid so as to produce secondary metabolites.

Keywords:

chloropyll, elicitor, phenol, phenylalaine, phenylpropanoid

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Published
2020-08-28



Nastaran Rashidi 
Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
Ramezan Ali Khavari-Nejad 
Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
Parvin Ramak 
Research Division of Natural Resources, Lorestan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Khorramabad, Iran
Sara Saadatmand 
Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran



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