Influence of microspheres on growth and quality of horticulture plants

CASALONGUÉ, CLAUDIA A.; ALVAREZ VERA; CHEVALIER, ALBERTO ANTONIO; CHEVALIER, MERARI T.; COLMAN, SILVANA LORENA; IGLESIAS, MARIA JOSÉ; MANSILLA, ANDREA Y.; MARTIN-SALDAÑA, SERGIO; TERRILE, MARÍA CECILIA

Miami

Congreso; The 3rd Biostimulants World Congress;; 2017

Frequently there are insufficient non-toxic compounds causing improve in plant yield and protection to stress. Consequently, it turns out in poor quality in terms of foods, human health and environment. In recent years, chitosan based systems (ChBS) has been employed as biocompatible and non-toxic compounds in agriculture. In this context, we designed and characterized chitosan based microspheres and studied their properties on horticultural plants. Chitosan-based microparticulated systems were successfully obtained and fully characterized in terms of morphology and size trough scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal stability by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and bioactive compound loading efficiency through UV-Vis spectroscopy. A currently bioactive release profile its being carried out. Western blot assays revealed that defense markers were accumulated at 24 upon application in tomato seedlings. Microspheres did not exerted cytotoxic effects under the assayed doses in tomato and lettuce seedlings in a range of standard concentrations. A mechanistic approach by using Arabidopsis transgenic plants allowed us to suggest that ChBS might promote plant growth throughout specific signaling pathway. Our findings indicated that microparticulated systems based on chitosan are promissing bioactive carriers to improve growth and stress protection in plants.