Journal Article

Phytochemical, physiological and morphological response of industrial-medicinal plant Melissa officinalis L. to drought stress, nanosilicon and superabsorbent polymer application

Shahhoseini, Reza, Farahani, Fatemeh, Hatami, Mehrnaz

2025

Overview

Lemon balm ( Melissa officinalis ) is a vital industrial and medicinal plant widely utilized in pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries due to its rich bioactive metabolites, including terpenoids and phenolic compounds, as well as its diverse therapeutic properties. This study examined the effects of silicon nanoparticles (Si-NPs; 300 mg/L foliar spray), superabsorbent polymer (SAP; 1 g/kg soil), and drought stress (75% field capacity) on the phytochemical, physiological, and growth parameters of lemon balm under greenhouse conditions. Conducted over 2023–2024 at Arak University’s medicinal plants department, the experiment followed a randomized complete block design with eight treatments and three replicates. Drought stress significantly reduced chlorophyll *a* (0.74 mg/gFW) and total chlorophyll content (1.00 mg/gFW), while Si-NPs and SAP mitigated these effects by enhancing chlorophyll levels, stem height, and diameter while reducing electrolyte leakage and proline accumulation. Conversely, drought stress elevated electrolyte leakage (32.45%) and proline (1.26 µmol/gFW). The combined Si-NP and SAP treatment yielded the highest flavonoid concentrations (6.76 mg QE/g DW) and antioxidant activity (59.37%). Notably, Si-NPs and SAP alleviated drought-induced morphological and physiological impairments. Essential oil content peaked (0.29%) under drought stress, with geranial and neral identified as primary constituents. The control and SAP treatments produced the highest geranial content (51.53%), whereas SAP alone maximized neral (34.95%). Si-NPs elevated linalool acetate (5.71%), and drought stress increased isopulegol (11.16%). These findings demonstrate the efficacy of Si-NPs and SAP in enhancing lemon balm’s drought tolerance and phytochemical yield.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Abiotic stress / acetates / Acetic acid / Acids / Agricultural production / Agriculture / antioxidant activity / Antioxidants - metabolism / Bioactive compounds / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Carotenoids / Chlorophyll / Chlorophyll - metabolism / Composition / Diseases and pests / Drought / Drought resistance / drought tolerance / Droughts / Electrolyte leakage / Electrolytes / Essential oils / Field capacity / Flavonoids / Flowers & plants / foliar spraying / Food industry / Genetic aspects / Geranial / greenhouses / Growth / Health aspects / Herbal medicine / Hydrogels / Identification and classification / Infantile colic / Leakage / Leaves / Lemon balm / Life Sciences / Linalool / lipid content / Medicinal plants / Melissa - anatomy & histology / Melissa - chemistry / Melissa - drug effects / Melissa - growth & development / Melissa - physiology / Melissa officinalis / Metabolism / Metabolites / Methods / Morphology / Nanomedicine / Nanoparticles / Nanoparticles - chemistry / Nanotechnology / Neral / Particle size / Phenolic compounds / Phenols / Physiology / Phytochemicals / Phytochemicals - metabolism / Plant growth / Plant Sciences / Plants, Medicinal - chemistry / Plants, Medicinal - drug effects / Plants, Medicinal - physiology / Polymers / Polymers - pharmacology / Proline / Secondary metabolites / Seeds / Silicon / Silicon - pharmacology / Soil stresses / Stress, Physiological / super absorbent polymers / Superabsorbent polymers / Temperature / Terpenes / therapeutics / Tree Biology / Water / water stress