Kirkuk University Journal for Agricultural Sciences (KUJAS)

Stimulating effect of Zn, B and Mo foliar treatments on sweetener compounds accumulation and gene expression level of UGT76G1

https://doi.org/10.58928/ku25.16220
Volume 16, Issue 2 - Issue Serial Number 2
Spring 2025
Page 163-168
Kirkuk University Journal for Agricultural Sciences (KUJAS)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Nader Ragab Abdelsalam 1
Shimaa Hussein 2
Ahmed E. Kenawy 3
Mohamed A Ghonema 4
Ahmed E. Khaled 5
William A. Botros 3

1 Faculty of agriculture Saba Basha Alexandria University

2 sugar Crops Research Institute; Agricultural Research Center (ARC); Ministry of Agriculture, Egypt

3 Department of Nucleic Acids Research, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute (GEBRI), City of Scientific Research and Technology Applications

4 Sugar Crops Research Institute; Agricultural Research Center (ARC); Ministry of Agriculture, Egypt

5 Agricultural Botany Department, Faculty of Agriculture (Saba-Basha), Alexandria University, Egypt

Abstract
Stevia rebaudiana is a small perennial shrub of Astraceae family. Stevia rebaudiana is a small perennial shrub of Astraceae family. The leaves of this plant contain different diterpenc glycosides. The leaves of this plant contain different diterpenc glycosides. The herb produces a high potency and zero calorie sweeteners in its leaf tissue (stevioside and rebaudioside A). Stevia plant produces a low-calorie sweetener in its leaves, which is being a calorie free sweetener, considered a helpful food additive for people with hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. The highly potent diterpene glycosides (stevioside and rebaudioside A), sweeteners are 300 times sweeter than sucrose. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of micronutrients applications on diterpene glycosides (stevioside and rebaudioside A) in three stevia varieties using HPLC analysis technique and investigating the expression levels of UGT76G1 gene using gene-specific primers. In this context stevia sweeteners (Stevioside and Rebaudioside A) leaves contents were extracted and determined. The results indicated that different treatments resulted in variable steviol glycoside contents. In addition, gene expression level of UGT76G1 was affected with the micronutrient applications, as an increase in the transcription abundance of the gene was observed. In conclusion, micronutrients were found to enhance stevia glycosides accumulation in the leaf tissues, especially in Egy1 and China1 varieties. In addition, the application of the three micronutrients (Zn, B and Mo) depicted the most favorable effects on stevia leaves. The results also showed that variety China1 glycosides were increased in treatments T6, T7 and T8. Finally, in variety Sponti, the highest value of stevia glycosides was obtained with T5 and T8 treatments.

Keywords

Stevia
sweetener
glycosides
micronutrients
HPLC
UGT76G1 gene
Subjects
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