Journal Article

Investigating the Endophyte Actinomycetota sp. JW0824 Strain as a Potential Bioinoculant to Enhance the Yield, Nutritive Value, and Chemical Composition of Different Cultivars of Anise (Pimpinella anisum L.) Seeds

Khalaf, Maha H., Reyad, Ahmed M., Al-Qahtani, Wahidah H., Abdel-Maksoud, Mostafa A., Dawood, Mona F. A., Mahmoud, Ahmed M., Shaban Ahmed, Enas, El-Sawah, Ahmed M., Sheteiwy, Mohamed S., Mousa, Nermien H. S., Alyafei, Mohammed, Malik, Abdul, AbdElgawad, Hamada

2024

Overview

Anise (Pimpinella anisum L.) seeds have various nutritional and therapeutic benefits and are thus considered a valuable addition to animal and human health. Hence, in this study, we aimed to induce the nutritive and biological value of anise seeds. To this end, the potential biofortification effect of the endophytic Actinomycetota sp. JW0824 strain, isolated during the fall of 2023 from the medicinal plant Achyranthes aspera, exhibiting natural distribution in the Jazan region of Saudi Arabia, was investigated in four varieties of anise seeds from Egypt, Tunisia, Syria, and Morocco. Results revealed significant increments (p < 0.05) in the seed dry weight percentage (DW%) and oil yields. In line with increased biomass accumulation, the metabolism of the primary and secondary metabolites was increased. There were differential increases in proteins, sugars, flavonoids, alkaloids, phenols, vitamins (e.g., β-carotene, ascorbic acid), and essential oil components (e.g., phenylpropanoids and monoterpenes), along with their precursor phenylalanine. Consistently, the activity of L-phenylalanine aminolyase (PAL) was increased in the Egyptian and Tunisian varieties at 83.88% and 77.19%, respectively, while 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate-7-phosphate synthase (DAHPS) activity increased in all varieties, with a significant 179.31% rise in the Egyptian variety. These findings highlight the beneficial effects of Actinomycetota sp. JW0824 as a bioinoculant for anise seeds, suggesting its potential application in agricultural practices to improve seed yield and quality. Further field trials are recommended to assess the commercial viability of this endophyte for enhancing anise seed production and potentially benefiting other plant species.

• Publisher: MDPI AG,MDPI
• Subject: Achyranthes aspera / Actinobacteria / Agricultural practices / Agricultural production / Alkaloids / Amino acids / anise / anise seeds / Antioxidants / Ascorbic acid / Bacteria / biofortification / biomass production / Chemical composition / Crop yields / Cultivars / Diabetes / Dry weight / Egypt / Endophytes / Essential oils / Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid / Flavonoids / Gene amplification / geographical distribution / Herbal medicine / Investigations / Medicinal plants / Medicine, Botanic / Medicine, Herbal / Metabolism / Metabolites / Microorganisms / Monoterpenes / monoterpenoids / Morocco / Nutritive value / oils / Phenols / Phenylalanine / Phenylpropanoids / Phytochemicals / Pimpinella anisum / Plant growth / Plant resistance / Saudi Arabia / Secondary metabolites / seed yield / Seeds / species / Syria / therapeutics / Tunisia / Vitamins / β-Carotene