TY  - EJOU
AU  - El-Din, Wessam M. Serag 
AU  - Attia, Kamal E. 
AU  - Eissa, Taghreed E. 
AU  - El-Deen, Tarek M. Noor 
AU  - Darwish, Hadeer 
AU  - Hawas, Ghadah H. Al 
AU  - Alotaibi, Modhi O. 

TI  - Alleviation of Salt Stress on the Growth and Active Constituents of Chamomile (<i>Matricaria chamomilla</i> L.) Using Glutathione and Hydrogen Peroxide
T2  - Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany

PY  - 
VL  - 
IS  - 
SN  - 1851-5657

AB  - 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 (H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>) on growth, flower yield, essential oil composition, and physiological responses of <i>Matricaria chamomilla</i> 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 H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> (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 H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> 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 (H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>) 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 H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> in mitigating salinity stress, suggesting a practical approach to improving <i>Matricaria chamomilla</i> 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.
KW  - <i>Matricaria chamomilla</i> L.; salinity stress; glutathione (GSH); hydrogen peroxide (H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>); redox regulation; antioxidant signaling; oxidative stress markers; osmotic adjustment; essential oil composition; α-bisabolol oxide A; chamazulene

DO  - 10.32604/phyton.2026.078357