Nanotized form of indole acetic acid improve biochemical activities, the ultrastructure of glandular trichomes and essential oil production in Ocimum tenuiflorum L

The escalating demand and interest for Ocimum tenuiflorum L. and its manufactured goods in many different areas like medicine, cosmetics, fragrance and perfumery industry entails appropriate cultural implementation for plant cultivation with maximum herbage and essential oil production. In order to produce it on a large scale nanotechnological strategy is used to increase essential oil content by treating holy basil plants with an un-nanotized and nanotized form of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), a plant growth regulator. In terms of addressing the demands of the industrial sector for aromatic plants nanotechnology has demonstrated remarkable promise. The IAA was nanotized by the top-down method, i.e., ball milling. The present work focuses on inducing the essential oil biosynthesis by foliar application of bulk and nanotized form of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) at different concentrations 0 (de-ionized water, control), 250, 500, and 750 mu M). Among various treatments, the application of IN2-500 mu M had the most significant effect on photosynthetic efficiency, nitrate reductase activity, essential oil content (150%) and essential oil yield (308%). Likewise, a similar trend was recorded for the phenol (48.9 mg GAE/g extract) and flavonoid content (37.0 mg QE/g extract). SEM analysis was used to examine the surface morphology and to measure the expanding size and density of peltate and capitate glandular trichomes (PGTs & CGTs). Therefore, it has been demonstrated through observation that nanotized form of indole-3-acetic acid improving glandular trichome density and vitality in holy basil, as well as enzymatic activity and essential oil production.