Effect of ABA and Salicylic Acid on Yields, Mineral Contents and Active Components of Chrysanthemum boreale M.

Chrysanthemum boreale M. is an important medicinal plant that has been historically used in herbal medicine and in the health food throughout East Asia. This study was conducted to investigate the influence of abscisic acid (ABA) and salicylic acid (SA) on plant growth, mineral content and effective components, such as essential oil, amino acid and cumambrin A, by means in order to increase the productivity and the quality of flowerheads in the plant. Yields of flowerheads were increased by 12.7%, 21.7% and 15.5% by ABA, SA and both treatments, respectively, as compared with the control. Inorganic nutrient content was changed by PGRs; SA treatment was increased by nitrogen, phosphorus and magnesium content but decreased by potassium of C. boreale M. flowerheads. Total content of amino acid was increased by SA but decreased by ABA treatment. Essential oil content and yields were increased to 9.7% and 33.8% by SA treatment. Moreover, the content of terpene, monoterpenoids and sesquiterpenoids, were improved by ABA treatment, especially, germacrene-D content was increased by 39.1%, as compared to control. In addition, yields of cumambrin A, sesquiterpene compound exhibiting blood-pressure activity, increased in all PGRs treatments, but its concentration in the C. boreale M. flowerheads only increased by ABA and both treatment. The experiment suggests that PGRs using ABA and SA could increase the yields and quality of C. boreale M. flowerheads.