Volume: 1, 2022
1st International PhD Student’s Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland: ENVIRONMENT – PLANT – ANIMAL – PRODUCT
Abstract number: P008
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL1.P008
Published online: 26 April 2022
ICDSUPL, 1, P008 (2022)
Chitosan as an effective elicitor of health-promoting plant secondary metabolites
Maria Stasińska-Jakubas1* and Barbara Hawrylak-Nowak1
1Department of Botany and Plant Physiology, Faculty of Environmental Biology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin; Akademicka 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
* Corresponding author: maria.jakubas@up.lublin.pl
Abstract
Due to the growing demand of industry and the limited natural plant resources, it has become important to develop effective methods of producing of high-quality raw materials with increased content of health-promoting compounds from the group of secondary metabolites. One of the strategies applied for this purpose is elicitation, which uses plant defence responses to abiotic and biotic stress factors, i.e. elicitors, to induce or stimulate the biosynthesis of desired bioactive compounds. One of the readily available and effective biotic elicitors is chitosan. Chitosan is a biodegradable and biocompatible polysaccharide obtained by partial deacetylation of chitin derived mainly from shells of marine invertebrates, cell walls of some fungi, and insect cuticles. In recent years, this polymer has been gaining increasing popularity due to its natural origin, favourable physicochemical properties, multidirectional biological activity, such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, and biostimulating. Hence the potential for multiple applications of this compound. In plant production, great hopes are raised by the possibility of using chitosan as an elicitor, modifying the chemical composition of plants and thus having a significant impact on their biological activity and pro-health properties. The potential of application of chitosan and its derivatives in the elicitation process involves the ability to stimulate natural plant defence mechanisms and increase plant resistance to stress. This is associated with various types of physiological and biochemical changes, e.g. oxidative stress, accumulation of hydrogen peroxide, synthesis and/or activation of various enzymes (chitinase, gluconase, protease, antioxidant enzymes), growth inhibitors (abscisic acid, jasmonic acid, salicylic acid), or accumulation of lignin and callose. Most importantly, many studies show the effectiveness of chitosan in enhancing the accumulation in plant tissues of several secondary metabolites, especially from the group of polyphenolic compounds (flavonoids, anthocyanins, phenolic acids), phytoalexins, alkaloids, and essential oils. Thus, chitosan and its derivatives due to their unique properties and potential of using in the elicitation process. This method can solve problems related to the insufficient amount of bioactive compounds produced by plants, which does not cover the current needs, and bring benefits by providing high-quality raw materials with increased content of pro-health substances.
How to cite
M. Stasińska-Jakubas, B. Hawrylak-Nowak, 2022. Chitosan as an effective elicitor of health-promoting plant secondary metabolites. In: 1st International PhD Student’s Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland: Environment – Plant – Animal – Product. https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL1/P008