Summary
This global meta-analysis synthesised 233 paired observations to quantify the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation on medicinal active ingredient accumulation in medicinal plants. AMF inoculation increased overall active ingredient contents by 27%, with particularly pronounced effects on flavonoids (68%) and terpenoids (53%), and notably stronger responses in belowground organs (32%) than aboveground (18%). The enhancement was attributed to improvements in plant physiological factors including chlorophyll content, stomatal conductance and net photosynthetic rate.
Regional applicability
The findings are potentially relevant to UK horticulture, particularly for medicinal plant and herbal supplement production, though the meta-analysis did not specify geographic or climatic limitations. UK growers and suppliers of medicinal plants could evaluate whether locally adapted AMF inoculants improve phytochemical yield under temperate conditions.
Key measures
Percentage increase in medicinal active ingredient contents; flavonoid content; terpenoid content; aboveground vs belowground organ accumulation; chlorophyll content; stomatal conductance; net photosynthetic rate
Outcomes reported
This meta-analysis of 233 paired observations quantified the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation on the accumulation of medicinal active ingredients across diverse medicinal plant species. The study measured percentage increases in phytochemical content (flavonoids, terpenoids and other active ingredients) in both aboveground and belowground plant organs, and investigated the physiological mechanisms underlying these enhancements.
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