TY  - EJOU
AU  - Lam, Vu Phong 
AU  - Loi, Dao Nhan 
AU  - Wang, Xin 
AU  - Do, Jongwon 
AU  - Kisekk, Isaya 
AU  - Nga, Nguyen Thi Thanh 
AU  - Park, Jongseok 

TI  - Optimizing Ethanol Concentrations to Enhance Growth and Bioactive Compound Production in <i>Agastache rugosa</i> Cultivated in a Plant Factory
T2  - Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany

PY  - 2025
VL  - 94
IS  - 4
SN  - 1851-5657

AB  - <i>Agastache rugosa</i>, 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 <i>A. rugosa</i> 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 CO<sub>2</sub> concentration (C<sub>i</sub>) compared to the untreated control, whereas stomatal conductance (g<sub>s</sub>) 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 <i>A. rugosa</i> cultivated in a plant factory. These findings provide valuable insights for improving cultivation of medicinal plants with high pharmaceutical and nutraceutical value.
KW  - <i>Agastache rugosa</i>; ethanol; plant factory; antioxidant; photosynthetic pigments; bioactive compounds

DO  - 10.32604/phyton.2025.062507