Investigation of the Effect of Fulvic Acid and Methyl Jasmonate on the Amount of Chlorogenic Acid, Caffeic Acid and Some Other Phytochemical Traits in the Aerial Parts and Roots of Coneflower

Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is a plant that its organs, especially its roots, are widely used in the pharmaceutical industries. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different concentrations of fulvic acid and methyl jasmonate on some morphophysiological and biochemical traits of root and aerial herbal parts of coneflower. This study was conducted as a factorial experiment based on completely randomized design with three replications at Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources in 1396-1397. Treatments included: fulvic acid at three levels (0, 1000 and 2000 ppm) and methyl jasmonate at four levels (0, 90, 100 and 110 μM) in two tissues (root and herbal part). The measured variables included: total phenol content, total flavonoid, antioxidant activity, chlorogenic acid and caffeic acis. Plant samples were extracted by methanol and biochemical traits measured by spectrophotometer and HPLC. The results showed that the treatments and their interactions biochemical traits (except for the effect of fulvic acid on total flavonoid and antioxidant activity) were significant at one and five percent probability level. Also based on the results of mean comparison, the highest amount of chlorogenic acid (7.46 mg/g) was observed at 110 mM methyl jasmonate and 1000 ppm fulvic acid and the maximum amount of caffeic acid (28 mg/g) was observed at 110 μM of methyl jasmonate and 1000 ppm of fulvic acid.