Open Access

ARTICLE

Optimizing Ethanol Concentrations to Enhance Growth and Bioactive Compound Production in Agastache rugosa Cultivated in a Plant Factory

Vu Phong Lam^1,2,#, Dao Nhan Loi^2,3,#, Xin Wang³, Jongwon Do^4,5, Isaya Kisekk⁵, Nguyen Thi Thanh Nga⁶, Jongseok Park^1,3,*

1 Department of Horticultural Science, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 34134, Republic of Korea
2 Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Tay Bac University, Son La, 360000, Vietnam
3 Department of Bio-AI Convergence, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 34134, Republic of Korea
4 Rural Research Institute, Korea Rural Community Corporation, Ansan, 15634, Republic of Korea
5 Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, University of California, Davis, CA 95691, USA
6 Faculty of Heath Science, Tay Bac University, Son La, 360000, Vietnam

* Corresponding Author: Jongseok Park. Email:
# These authors contributed equally to this work

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Advances in Molecular Insights of Plant Secondary Metabolites: Biosynthesis, Regulation, and Applications)

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2025, 94(4), 1253-1267. https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2025.062507

Received 19 December 2024; Accepted 27 March 2025; Issue published 30 April 2025

Abstract

Agastache rugosa, a medicinal plant known for its bioactive compounds, has gained attention for its pharmacological and commercial potential. This study aimed to optimize ethanol concentration to enhance growth and bioactive compound production in A. rugosa cultivated in a controlled plant factory system. Ethanol treatments at 40 and 80 mM significantly promoted both vegetative and reproductive growth. Plants treated with these concentrations exhibited higher net photosynthetic rates (A) and intercellular CO₂ concentration (C_i) compared to the untreated control, whereas stomatal conductance (g_s) and transpiration rate (E) remained unaffected. Chlorophyll and carotenoid concentrations, and SPAD values, significantly increased with ethanol treatment. Total flavonoid and total phenolic contents as well as 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging activities were significantly higher in plants treated with ethanol than in the untreated control. Ethanol treatments led to a significant enhancement in the activities of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase. Furthermore, ethanol treatment elevated rosmarinic acid concentrations in roots and tilianin and acacetin levels in flowers. Collectively, ethanol at 40 and 80 mM effectively enhanced growth, photosynthesis, antioxidant defense, and bioactive compound production in A. rugosa cultivated in a plant factory. These findings provide valuable insights for improving cultivation of medicinal plants with high pharmaceutical and nutraceutical value.

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