Davies, M.J., Atkinson, C.J., Burns, C., Arroo, R. and Woolley, J. (2011) Increases in leaf artemisinin concentration in Artemisia annua in response to the application of phosphorus and boron. Industrial Crops and Products, 34 (3). pp. 1465-1473. ISSN 0926-6690 (doi:10.1016/j.indcrop.2011.05.002)

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Abstract

Malaria resurgence particularly in the third world is considerable and exacerbated by the development of multi-drug resistances to chemicals such as chloroquinone. Drug therapies, as recommended by WHO include the use of antimalarial compounds derived from Artemisia annua L., i.e. artemisinin-based therapies. This work aims to determine how A. annua plant dry matter can be enhanced while maximising artemisinin concentration from understanding the plant's mineral requirements for P and B. Experiments with differing of P, from 5 to 120 mg L−1 and B from 0.1 to 0.9 mg L−1 were undertaken. Mineral nutrients were supplied in irrigation water to potted plants and after a period of growth, dry matter production and leaf artemisinin concentration were determined. Increases in P application enhanced plant growth and total dry matter production. An optimal application rate, with respect to dry matter, was apparent around 30 mg P L−1. Despite increases in P application having no influence on leaf artemisinin concentration, optimal yields of artemisinin, on a per plant basis, were again achieved at supply rate around 30–60 mg L−1. Increasing B application rate had little influence on dry matter production despite increases in B leaf tissue concentration promoting the total amount of B per plant. Leaf artemisinin concentration significantly increased with B application rate up to 0.6 mg B L−1. The higher artemisinin concentrations when multiplied by total leaf dry matter at the higher B application rates produced an increase in total artemisinin production per plant. There was however no further significant effect on leaf artemisinin concentration when B supply concentrations increased further (0.9 mg L−1). Artemisinin production varied between the two experiments to a greater extent than plant dry matter production and the reasons for this are discussed in relation to growing environments and their possible impacts on artemisinin biosynthesis.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	[1] Acknowledgements (funding): Project sponsored by Defra through the Renewable Materials LINK Programme (LK0822, ‘Developing an alternative UK industrial crop A. annua, for the extraction of Artemisinin to treat multi-drug resistant malaria’) with financial inputs from the Horticultural Development Company (HDC) which is part of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, UK.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Artemisia annua, Artemisinin, boron, malaria, phosphorus, plant nutrition
Subjects:	S Agriculture > S Agriculture (General) S Agriculture > SB Plant culture
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Engineering & Science Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute > Agriculture, Health & Environment Department
Related URLs:	Publisher Organisation
Last Modified:	13 Nov 2019 15:24
URI:	http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/12455

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