Sains Malaysiana 52(1)(2023): 57-69

http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2023-5201-05

Drought Stress Induced the Flavonoid Content in Moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.) Leaves

(Stres Kemarau Mengaruh Kandungan Flavonoid pada Daun Moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.))

RIDWAN^1,2, HAMIM^1,*, SUHARSONO¹& NURIL HIDAYATI²

¹Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia

²National Research and Innovation Agency, Indonesia

Received: 26 April 2022/Accepted: 27 October 2022

Abstract

Flavonoid is one of the most widely available bioactive compounds presence in the Moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.) leaves. Osmotic stress is known to induce flavonoid production, however, the water level varies among plant species. This study aimed to examined the effects of water stress levels on the flavonoid content of Moringa leaves. The plants were treated withholding watering at three intervals (I): i.e.,: 1 (as control), 3 and 7 days based on the evaporated water during the treatments. The drought treatments were given within 4 different periods (D) before the plants were harvested, i.e.,: 8, 16, 24 and 32 days, and measured for the growth and biomass, proline (Pro) and chlorophyll (Chl) content, leaf water potential (WP), leaf relative water content (RWC), quercetin (Q) and kaempferol (K) content, and water use efficiency of flavonoid (WUE_f). The results showed that the drought treatments induced different water statuses in the plants by decreases the leaf relative water content (RWC) and leaf water potential (WP) and increases of proline content significantly (up to 3 fold). Growth and biomass production decreased with the increase of water stress, whereas flavonoid content increased when the drought was mild and decreased again under severe drought. The highest content of flavonoids (1314.53 mg/kg leave biomass for Q and 2984.15 mg/kg leave biomass for K) and WUE_f were shown when the plants were treated with 3 days drought for 16 days periods before the plants were harvested (I2D2) with no significant reduction in leaf biomass. This result suggests that the treatment of I2D2 is the best for bioactive production in Moringa.

Keywords: Bioactive compounds; drought; kaempferol; quercetin

Abstrak

Salah satu sebatian bioaktif yang paling banyak digunakan yang diperoleh daripada daun Moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam.) ialah flavonoid. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk mendorong kandungan flavonoid daun Moringa melalui rawatan tekanan air yang tidak mengurangkan jumlah pengeluaran bioaktif. Rawatan kemarau digunakan dengan menahan penyiraman dengan selang 1 (sebagai kawalan), 3 dan 7 hari. Rawatan kemarau diberikan dalam 4 tempoh (kitaran) yang berbeza sebelum tanaman dituai, iaitu: 8, 16, 24 dan 32 hari. Isi padu pengairan ditentukan berdasarkan perbezaan di antara berat pasu di bawah kapasiti ladang dan di bawah rawatan kemarau sejurus sebelum penyiraman seterusnya. Pemboleh ubah yang diperhatikan ialah pertumbuhan dan biojisim, prolin (Pro), klorofil (Chl), potensi air daun (WP), kandungan air relatif daun (RWC), kandungan kuersetin (Q) dan kaempferol (K) dan kecekapan penggunaan air flavonoid. (WUE_f). Hasil kajian menunjukkan bahawa rawatan kemarau mampu menyebabkan status air yang berbeza antara rawatan yang ditunjukkan oleh penurunan kandungan air relatif daun (RWC) dan potensi air daun (WP) akibat kemarau yang lebih lama, manakala ia menyebabkan peningkatan kandungan prolin dengan ketara. Pertumbuhan dan pengeluaran biojisim menurun dengan peningkatan tekanan air, manakala kandungan flavonoid meningkat apabila kemarau sederhana dan berkurangan semula di bawah kemarau yang teruk. Kandungan flavonoid (Q dan K) dan WUE_f tertinggi ditunjukkan apabila tumbuhan dirawat dengan kemarau 3 hari selama tempoh 16 hari sebelum tanaman dituai (I2D2) tanpa pengurangan ketara dalam biojisim daun. Keputusan ini menunjukkan bahawa rawatan I2D2 adalah yang terbaik untuk pengeluaran bioaktif di Moringa.

Kata kunci: Kaempferol; kuersetin; sebatian bioaktif; tekanan air

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^*Corresponding author; email: hamim@apps.ipb.ac.id