Planta Med 2015; 81 - PW_144
DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1565768

Effect of fertilization and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on active substances of marjoram

R Engel 1, K Szabó 1, L Abrankó 2, S Sárosi 3, A Füzy 4, T Takács 4
  • 1MTA, Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Vácrátót, Hungary
  • 2Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Food Science, Corvinus University of Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
  • 3Department of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Faculty of Horticultural Sciences, Corvinus University of Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
  • 4MTA Centre for Agricultural Research, Institute for Soil Sciences and Agricultural Chemistry, Budapest, Hungary

The aim of this study was to examine and to compare the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation and artificial fertilization (NPK) on the growth and content of active substances of marjoram (Origanum majorana L.). The soil of the experimental field without the addition of commercial AMF and of NPK served as a control. In the 1st treatment NKP, in the 2nd treatment commercially available AMF inoculum (INOQ) and in the 3rd treatment NKP and AMF mixture were added to the soil of the experimental field. The efficiency of the mycorrhization was verified by monitoring the fungal root colonization of the plants. Essential oil composition and the main polyphenolic compounds were identified and quantified in the flowering shoots of marjoram harvested at the end of the vegetation period using GC-MS and HPLC-ESI-qTOFMS respectively.

The presence of 30 essential oil components was determined among which terpinen-4-ol, cis-sabinene hydrate, trans-sabinene hydrate, linalyl acetate, trans-sabinene hydrate acetate and p-cimol were the major ones representing the 70 – 78% of the total content. Major polyphenols were identified as rosmarinic acid, lithospermic acid, apigenin-di-C-hexoside, luteolin-glucuronide, apigenin-glucoronide.

We found that the rate of the colonized roots was doubled for inoculated plants, whereas it was halved for fertilized plants compared to control. The root system of the control group was colonized by the native AMF found naturally in the soil of the experimental field. The results indicate that the colonization with native AMF increased the essential oil production, and the content of phenolic acids compared to other treatments. Interestingly, NPK treatment significantly decreased the content of phenolic acids. There was no significant difference in the yield of biomass among the treatments.

Acknowledgement: Authors thank OTKA (PD105750) for the financial support.