Open Access

ARTICLE

Alleviation of Salt Stress on the Growth and Active Constituents of Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) Using Glutathione and Hydrogen Peroxide

Wessam M. Serag El-Din^1,*, Kamal E. Attia¹, Taghreed E. Eissa^2,*, Tarek M. Noor El-Deen², Hadeer Darwish^1,3, Ghadah H. Al Hawas^4,5, Modhi O. Alotaibi^6,7
1 Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Department, Horticulture Research Institute (HRI), Agricultural Research Center (ARC), Giza, Egypt
2 Ornamental Plants and Landscape Gardening Research Department, Horticulture Research Institute (HRI), Agricultural Research Center (ARC), Giza, Egypt
3 Department of Biotechnology, College of Sciences, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia
4 Department of Biology, College of Science, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
5 Basic and Applied Scientific Research Center, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
6 Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
7 Environmental and Biomaterial Unit, Natural and Health Sciences Research Center, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
* Corresponding Author: Wessam M. Serag El-Din. Email: ; Taghreed E. Eissa. Email:
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Crop Stress Mitigation for Enhanced Productivity and Quality)

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2026.078357

Received 30 December 2025; Accepted 21 April 2026; Published online 15 May 2026

Abstract

Water salinity is a growing environmental concern that significantly impacts soil health, agricultural productivity, and freshwater sustainability, especially in arid regions. This study evaluated the comparative effects of foliar-applied glutathione (GSH) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) on growth, flower yield, essential oil composition, and physiological responses of Matricaria chamomilla L. under water salinity levels. The experiment was conducted during the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 seasons at the Experimental Farm of El-Quassassin, Ismailia, Egypt, using a factorial randomized complete block design with three replicates. Foliar applications of GSH (1, 2, and 3 mM) and H₂O₂ (5, 10, and 20 mM) were tested under varying salinity levels (340 ppm as control, 1500, 3000, and 4500 ppm). Salinity severely impaired vegetative growth, flower yield, and key nutrients like nitrogen, protein, potassium, and carbohydrates, while increasing proline, sodium and essential oil percentages, especially at 3000 and 4500 ppm. Foliar application of GSH and H₂O₂ alleviated these adverse effects in a concentration-dependent manner. Among the tested concentrations, GSH at 2 mM showed superior performance under moderate salinity (1500 and 3000 ppm), enhancing plant growth, flower biomass, essential oil yield, and oil quality. Improvements were associated with increased oxygenated sesquiterpenes, particularly α-bisabolol oxide A and chamazulene. Such results revealed the possibility of applying the osmotic regulation agents to enhance the production of medicinal plants under saline irrigation conditions. Mechanistically, glutathione (GSH) enhances antioxidant capacity and regulates cellular redox balance. In contrast, hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) improves plant performance in a concentration-dependent manner by activating antioxidant defense pathways. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to provide novel insights into the comparative and concentration-dependent effectiveness of GSH and H₂O₂ in mitigating salinity stress, suggesting a practical approach to improving Matricaria chamomilla L. productivity and essential oil quality under saline conditions. So, this study recommends foliar spraying with 2 mM GSH during moderate saline irrigation (1500 ppm) as the most effective strategy for enhancing chamomile growth, flower yield, and essential oil quality.

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Keywords

Matricaria chamomilla L.; salinity stress; glutathione (GSH); hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂); redox regulation; antioxidant signaling; oxidative stress markers; osmotic adjustment; essential oil composition; α-bisabolol oxide A; chamazulene

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