Quantitative and qualitative improvement of the content of some medicinal compounds of the pencil tree (Euphorbia tirucalli L), using chelate iron fertilizer

Subject Areas : Plant Physiology

Fatemeh Bagheri ¹ , Aryan Sateei ^{2 *} , Mazyar Ahmadi Golsefidi ³ , Mehdi Ebadi ⁴

1 - Department of Biology, Go.C., Islamic Azad University, Gorgan, Iran
2 - Department of Biology, Go.C., Islamic Azad University, Gorgan, Iran
3 - Department of Chemistry, Go.C., Islamic Azad University, Gorgan, Iran.
4 - Department of Chemistry, Go.C., , Gorgan, Iran

Received: 2022-11-22 Accepted : 2024-03-24 Published : 2025-08-24

Keywords: Bioactive, GC-Mass, Nitrogen, Pot culture, secondary metabolite,

Abstract :

Euphorbia tirucalli or pencil tree contains bioactive substances with therapeutic effects. The present study investigated the effect of N20P20K20 fertilizer with a concentration of 3 g/l individually or in combination with chelate iron fertilizer, 0.2 or 0.4 g /80 cm² of soil, on fresh and dry weight, and on terpenoid content of this plant. A total of 3 treatments in four replications were considered in pots for 11 months. Control plants received no fertilizer during this period. The experiment was conducted in a complete randomized block design. Contrary to usual, the growth of the pencil tree did not show a positive response to any of the fertilizers and even the fresh weight of the roots significantly reduced. Although no significant difference was observed in terms of total terpenoid content between treatments, based on the results of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS), 11 bioactive terpenoids with medicinal properties (including antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties) were found in considerable amounts in the combined treatment, N20P20K20 and chelate iron fertilizer, 0.2 g/80 cm² of soil. It is noteworthy that out of these eleven compounds, only 3 cases were identified in control plants and only 5 cases in plants obtained from individual N20P20K20 treatment. The results of the present study indicate the positive effect of chelate iron fertilizer on the reorientation of secondary metabolism of Euphorbia tirucalli towards the production of valuable medicinal compounds.

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