Comparison of the effects of fungal endophyte Gilmaniella sp. and its elicitor on Atractylodes lancea plantlets.

The effects of the endophytic fungus Gilmaniella sp. and its elicitor on the defense and metabolic responses of host plants Atractylodes lancea were investigated, in order to understand how to utilize endophytic fungi and their elicitor resources better. The results showed that the promotion effect of the fungus on the growth of host plantlets was much better than that of its elicitor. Both fungus and elicitor enhanced defense-related enzyme activities. In fungus-inoculated groups, phenylalanine ammonia lyase and polyphenol oxidase activities increased slowly, and reached a maximum level during the later stages, whereas peroxidase activity peaked in the first few days. Additionally, the activities of chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase were significantly higher than those of the control plants. In elicitor-treated groups, however, most of the enzymes were activated during the early stage, and their highest levels were generally lower than those of the fungus-inoculated groups. Compared with the elicitor, fungal infection improved the photosynthetic rate of the host, and increased carbohydrate levels as well as chlorophyll content in host leaves. The total content of the four main components of volatile oil was also increased in elicitor-treated groups, but there was no particular pattern in this increase. Meanwhile, in the fungus-inoculated groups, the content of atractylone significantly increased with time, while the content of β-eudesmol decreased. These results indicated that fungal elicitor could substantially improve the total content of volatile oil, while the fungus could more effectively enhance the quality of herbal medicines.