Open AccessEffects of nitrogen application on phytochemical component levels and anticancer and antioxidant activities of Allium fistulosum
Author(s) -
Chen Zhao,
Zhongjian Wang,
Rongzong Cui,
Le Su,
Xin Sun,
Orlando BorrásHidalgo,
Kunlun Li,
Jianlin Wei,
Qiulin Yue,
Zhicong Lin
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
peerj
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.927
H-Index - 70
ISSN - 2167-8359
DOI - 10.7717/peerj.11706
Subject(s) - allium fistulosum , phytochemical , antioxidant , nitrogen , fertilizer , chemistry , hela , traditional medicine , biology , allium , botany , agronomy , medicine , biochemistry , cell , organic chemistry
Background Allium fistulosum L. has good nutritional value and is cultivated worldwide as an efficacious traditional medicinal plant. Its biological activities are attributable to its phytochemicals. Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for plant growth and development; however, the effect of nitrogen levels on the level of active components in this species is not well understood. Methods In this study, using urea fertilizer, we investigated the effects of different nitrogen levels (N0, N1, and N2 at 0, 130, and 260 kg/ha, respectively) on the phytochemical constituents , and antioxidant and anticancer properties of A. fistulosum . Results The results suggested that nitrogen fertilizers have a significant effect on the level of total phenols and flavonoids. The analysis of the antioxidant capacity revealed that the lowest IC 50 values corresponded to plants treated with the highest nitrogen concentration. Anticancer activity was investigated against cancer cell lines (HeLa and HepG2), and the extracts of A. fistulosum treated with a high nitrogen level showed the highest antiproliferative effect. Collectively, our results suggest that nitrogen fertilizer application enhanced the quality of A. fistulosum , particularly its health benefits.