Response of vase-life carnation cut flower to salicylic acid, silver nanoparticles, glutamine and essential oil

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of silver nanoparticles (SNP), Salicylic acid, Glutamine and essential oils as novel antimicrobial agents in extending the vase-life of carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus) flowers. Two separate sets of experiments were conducted in a completely randomized design. In the first trial were applied salicylic acid (1, 1.5 and 2 mM), glutamine (50, 100 and 150 mg L-1) and silver nanoparticles (5, 10 and 15 mg L-1) on carnation cut flowers. The second set included investigating the effect of adding three concentrations of 50, 100 and 150 mg L-1 of Lavender essential oil or Thyme essential oil, two concentrations of 12.5 or 17.5 mg L-1 silver nanoparticles and two concentrations of 2.5 or 5 mM salicylic acid into preservative solutions containing 200 mg L-1 of glutamine. In both experiments distilled water was used as a control. The results of these experiments indicated that both application methods increased vase-life of carnation. In the first trial, the results showed that all salicylic acid, glutamine and silver nanoparticles different concentrations prolonged carnation vase-life, while decreasing malondialdehyde (MDA) content, accumulation of bacteria in vase solution, ACO-oxidase activity and membrane permeability together with total delay of senescence and per oxidation of lipids. In the second trial, all essential oils prolonged carnation vase-life. Lavender essential oil or Thyme essential oil (150 mg L-1), salicylic acid (2.5 mM) and silver nanoparticles (17.5 mg L-1) showed the highest effect (increasing 8.5 days) in comparison to the control. © 2012 Knowledgia Review, Malaysia.