Study of the conditions of synthesizing scopolentin in tobacco plants and scopolentin capacity as a means of controlling Orobanche spp.

Hristo Bozukov, Soleya Dagnon

Abstract: Best (1948) reports that the levels of scopoletin in the tobacco plants increase following TSWV infection. The analysis of experimental results carried out by Wender (1968) led him to the conclusion that the synthesis of scopoletin in the plants is indused by various inhibiting factors of different nature - chemical, physical, biological, climatical etc. Sargents & Skoog (1961) have isolated and identified scopoletin in primary tobacco roots and Whitney (1986) suggested that scopoletin inhibits the process of germination of broomrape seeds. Wender (1968) reaches the conclusion that some factors of different types which inhibit tobacco development cause the production and accrual of scopoletin in tobacco plants. The aim of our work is to study the effect of different inhibiting factors on the level of scopoletin synthesis in tobacco roots and its potentialities for broomrape control. The results obtained show that the levels of chlorogenic acid and scopoletin are highest in tobacco roots infected with TSWV, as compared with plants grew under other stress factors. As a result of the study, it was found that, the roots of tobacco plants infected with Tomato spotted wilt virus show the greatest change in the content of chlorogenic acid and scopoletin in comparison with the control group, while for tobacco subject to other stress conditions, even of similar type – viral infection with TMV, the content of the polyphenolic complex in plant roots is similar to the one of plants in the control group.

Keywords: broomrape; chlorogenic acid; polyphenols; scopoletin; tobacco

Date published: 2021-02-25