Dual effects of two mycorrhizal fungi on production of glycyrrhizin total phenolic and total flavonoids compounds in roots of Glycyrrhiza glabra L.

Certain chemical and biological parameters of the plants including secondary metabolite accumulation are affected during the establishment of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis. Since, secondary metabolites are important from many aspects like food and pharmaceutical industries and also plant defense system, many studies are focused on the effects of fungal inoculation on different growth parameters and secondary production in plants. In this study, after simultaneous inoculation of licorice seeds with two fungal species Glomus mosseae and G. intraradices effects of inoculation on growth parameters and secondary production in 6-mounths old samples were assessed. Percentage of colonization, plant growth parameters, phosphorus and zinc, amount of glycyrrhizin, the total phenolic compounds and total flavonoids were measured. Results showed that length of roots and stems were increased as well as the number of leaflets, fresh and dry weights of seedlings, as compared to the control plants. Amount of phosphorus and zinc were also increased in inoculated samples compared to the controls. Significant increases were also observed in secondary compounds of roots of the 6-mounths old plants (phenolic compounds, total flavonoids and glycyrrhizin) compared to the control samples. Results showed that simultaneous inoculation of licorice seeds with mycorrhizal arbuscular fungi G. mosseae and G. intraradices played an important role in increasing quantitative plant growth parameters and improving qualitative characteristics of medicinal plant licorice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]