Effect of Glomus aggregatum and plant growth promoting rhizomicroorganisms on growth, nutrition and content of secondary metabolites in Glycyrrhiza glabra L.
T. Selvaraj1* and P. Sumithra2
1Department of Plant Sciences, Ambo University, Post Box No.19, Ambo, Ethiopia, East Africa 2Department of Microbiology, Shrimad Andavar College of Arts and Science, Tiruchirappalli, Tamilnadu India
ABSTRACT
Glycyrrhiza glabra L. is one of the important medicinal plant belonging to the family Fabaceae (Leguminosae) and commonly called as ‘liquorice’. The main ingredient of G. glabra is ‘glycyrrhizin’, a substance 50 times sweeter than sucrose with cortisone -like effects. It is a very sweet, moist, soothing herb that is anti-inflammatory and expectorant, with controls coughing. Externally liquorice is used for eczema, herpes and shingles. Economically, the roots are boiled to extract the familiar black substance used in liquorice confectionery and this is solid dried to eat. A study was under taken to determine the effect of AM fungus, Glomus aggregatum and some plant growth promoting rhizomicroorganisms(PGPR’s) on the growth, biomass, nutrition and content of secondary metabolites of G. glabra under green house conditions. Various plant growth parameters like total plant biomass, mycorrhizal parameters, shoot and root phosphorus, potassium, iron, zinc, copper content and polyphenolic compounds viz., total phenols, ortho-dihydroxy phenols, tannins, flavonoids and alkaloids were analyzed and found to vary with different treatments. Among all the treatments, plants inoculated with ‘microbial consortium’ consisting of Glomus aggregatum + Trichoderma harzianum + Bacillus coagulans performed better than other treatments and uninoculated control plants. The results of this experiment clearly indicated that inoculation of G. glabra with Glomus aggregatum along with PGPR’s enhanced its growth, biomass ,yield, nutrition and secondary metabolites.