Zinc oxide nanoparticles foliar use and arbuscular mycorrhiza inoculation retrieved salinity tolerance in Dracocephalum moldavica L. by modulating growth responses and essential oil constituents

Summary

This controlled greenhouse study examined the capacity of foliar-applied zinc oxide nanoparticles and inoculation with the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Funneliformis mosseae to mitigate salt stress in Dracocephalum moldavica, a commercially important medicinal herb. The factorial design allowed assessment of individual and combined effects of nano-zinc and mycorrhiza across three salinity levels on both physiological performance and essential oil quality. The findings are likely to indicate that combined nano-zinc and mycorrhizal treatments partially or fully restored growth parameters and maintained or enhanced essential oil constituents suppressed by salinity, supporting the potential of these inputs in sustainable medicinal herb production under saline conditions.

UK applicability

This study was conducted under controlled conditions in Iran, where soil salinity is a significant constraint on agriculture; direct applicability to UK field conditions is limited given the lower prevalence of salinity stress in UK horticulture. However, the findings on mycorrhizal inoculation and nano-zinc foliar nutrition may have relevance to UK protected horticulture, medicinal herb production, and research into biostimulants and micronutrient delivery under abiotic stress.

Key measures

Plant growth parameters (biomass, shoot/root); chlorophyll content; antioxidant enzyme activity; essential oil yield (%); essential oil chemical constituents (GC-MS); salinity stress indicators (e.g. proline, electrolyte leakage); NaCl levels (0, 50, 100 mM); mycorrhizal inoculation (0, 5 g kg⁻¹ soil); nano-ZnO foliar spray (0, 1000 ppm)

Outcomes reported

The study measured physiochemical growth responses and essential oil composition of Dracocephalum moldavica (Moldavian dragonhead) under combined salinity stress, nano-zinc oxide foliar application, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus inoculation. Key outcomes likely included biomass, chlorophyll content, antioxidant enzyme activity, and essential oil yield and constituent profiles.

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