Induced Nutrient Deficiencies In Catharanthus Roseus Impact Ajmalicine Bioproduction

Plants are key sources to obtain drugs and related medical compounds. In the species Catharanthus roseus L.G. Don, ordinarily known as vinca, contains significant amounts of the alkaloid ajmalicine, which is used as an anti-hypertension drug. The aim of this research was to verify the effect of macro-nutrient deficiencies and boron over ajmalicine bioproduction in vinca roots. The experiment was performed in random blocks with eight treatments: complete, nitrogen deficient (-N), phosphorus deficient (-P), potassium deficient (-K), calcium deficient (-Ca), magnesium deficient (- Mg), sulfur deficient (-S) and boron deficient (-B), with four replicates. Seedlings were initially watered once a day with a complete solution and after 55 days after germination the treatments were started. Plants were collected 135 days after germination and evaluated in relation to root's dry matter, concentration of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B and ajmalicine. Concentration of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S and B within the root's dry matter of the vinca plants in deficient treatments were respectively of 62, 61, 93, 52, 70, 61 and 44% lower when compared with complete treatment. Potassium deficiency resulted in ajmalicine increment of 19% within roots, while deficiencies in N, P, Mg and S reduced ajmalicine concentration in 55, 33, 22 and 26% respectively when compared with complete treatment. Deficiencies in Ca and B had no significant effect in ajmalicine concentration within the plant roots. Within plants with the complete treatment, nutrient contents of ajmalicine from the roots’ dry matter were respectively of 18,5 g kg−1 N, 1,46 g kg−1 P, 13,5 g kg−1 K, 4,47 g kg−1 Ca, 1,43 g kg−1 Mg, 1,53 g kg−1 S, 61 mg kg−1 B and 1,28 mg g−1 of vitexin. © 2016 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.39683584

Doses e fontes de nitrogênio em fertirrigação no cultivo do maracujá-amarelo Sourges and doses of nitrogen in fertirrigation of yellow passion-fruit cultivation

Vários fatores influenciam na produtividade do maracujazeiro, dentre os quais o clima, o solo e as práticas de adubação e de irrigação. A nutrição mineral é essencial para elevar a produtividade e melhorar a qualidade dos frutos, e o nitrogênio é o nutriente mais absorvido pelo maracujazeiro. O trabalho objetivou avaliar doses e fontes de nitrogênio, aplicadas em fertirrigação, em 17 meses de produção do maracujá-amarelo (Passiflora edulis Sims f. flavicarpa Deg.), na produção e qualidade dos frutos, em Latossolo Amarelo de Tabuleiro Costeiro do Estado da Bahia. Estudaram-se, em blocos casualizados com parcelas subdivididas, duas fontes de N (uréia e nitrato de cálcio), nas parcelas, e cinco doses de N (0; 100; 200; 400 e 800 kg ha-1), nas subparcelas, com três repetições. O maracujá-amarelo foi plantado no espaçamento de 3,00 x 1,25 m, contendo a subparcela oito plantas úteis, com bordadura simples, e avaliado no período de janeiro de 2000 a janeiro de 2002. Os resultados mostraram que a produtividade máxima de frutos, 34,3 t ha-1, foi obtida com aplicação de 457 kg de N ha-1, na forma de uréia. Contudo, a adubação nitrogenada e as fontes utilizadas não influenciaram nas características do fruto e na qualidade do suco.<br>Passion fruit yield is influenced by several production factors, among them the climate, the soil and the manuring and irrigation practices. Nitrogen (N) is the most absorbed nutrient by the passion-fruit plant and has structural functions in the plant, and it can be supplied by nitric, ammoniacal and starchy sources. The experiment objective was to evaluate nitrogen sources and doses applied in fertirrigation of passion-fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims f. flavicarpa Deg.) production and fruit quality in 17 months of production in a Coastal Tableland Yellow Latosol in Bahia State, Brazil. It was studied, in randomized blocks with split-plots, two sources of N (urea and calcium nitrate), on the plots, and five N doses (0, 100, 200, 400 and 800 kg ha-1), on the split-plots with three replicas. The yellow passion-fruit was planted in a spacing of 3.00 x 1.25 m, in a total area of 1,237.50 m², and evaluated from january 2000 to january 2002. The results showed maximum yield of 34 ton ha-1, applying 457 kg of N ha-1, in urea form. Nitrogen fertilizer and sources did not interfer in the fruit characteristics and juice quality