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<p>Salinity is a major abiotic stress affecting <i>Artemisia annua</i>, the primary source of the antimalarial compound artemisinin, and this study employed a comparative approach, utilising spectroscopic and chromatographic analysis, to investigate the metabolic and molecular responses to varying salinity levels. While salinity progressively inhibited growth, it induced adaptive responses, including the significant accumulation of osmoprotectants. A strong defence mechanism was activated, evidenced by a drastic rise in phenols, flavonoids, antioxidant enzyme activity, and the chromatographic revelation of volatile oils, which reveals regulation of key biomarker metabolites. Our metabolomic analysis, integrating data from both GC-MS and Raman spectroscopy, revealed the metabolic strategy employed under stress. The GC-MS data showed a downregulation of key volatile sesquiterpenes, indicating a possible shutdown of pathways. This was complemented by the Raman analysis, which indicates the purpose of this shutdown: a potential shift of resources towards the synthesis and accumulation of non-volatile protective compounds. Therefore, the plant conserves energy by reducing volatile emissions and over-investing in stable, long-term cellular protectants, providing an adaptive survival strategy, clearly indicating major metabolic reprogramming. Transcription studies also suggest that moderate salinity acts as a potent elicitor for artemisinin biosynthesis. However, under severe stress, artemisinin production declined despite peak gene expression, which may have occurred due to a critical bottleneck caused by the downregulation of the precursor gene and widespread cellular dysfunction. Our findings define the physiological limits of stress-induced biosynthesis and demonstrate that controlled salinity is a viable strategy to enhance the pharmacological yield of&#xa0;<i>A. annua</i>.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>

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Salinity drives key shifts in the volatile metabolome of Artemisia annua

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月13日

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  • Pajeb Saha,
  • Sneha Singh,
  • Sabitri Kumari,
  • Nidhi Rai,
  • Shashi Pandey-Rai

摘要

Salinity is a major abiotic stress affecting Artemisia annua, the primary source of the antimalarial compound artemisinin, and this study employed a comparative approach, utilising spectroscopic and chromatographic analysis, to investigate the metabolic and molecular responses to varying salinity levels. While salinity progressively inhibited growth, it induced adaptive responses, including the significant accumulation of osmoprotectants. A strong defence mechanism was activated, evidenced by a drastic rise in phenols, flavonoids, antioxidant enzyme activity, and the chromatographic revelation of volatile oils, which reveals regulation of key biomarker metabolites. Our metabolomic analysis, integrating data from both GC-MS and Raman spectroscopy, revealed the metabolic strategy employed under stress. The GC-MS data showed a downregulation of key volatile sesquiterpenes, indicating a possible shutdown of pathways. This was complemented by the Raman analysis, which indicates the purpose of this shutdown: a potential shift of resources towards the synthesis and accumulation of non-volatile protective compounds. Therefore, the plant conserves energy by reducing volatile emissions and over-investing in stable, long-term cellular protectants, providing an adaptive survival strategy, clearly indicating major metabolic reprogramming. Transcription studies also suggest that moderate salinity acts as a potent elicitor for artemisinin biosynthesis. However, under severe stress, artemisinin production declined despite peak gene expression, which may have occurred due to a critical bottleneck caused by the downregulation of the precursor gene and widespread cellular dysfunction. Our findings define the physiological limits of stress-induced biosynthesis and demonstrate that controlled salinity is a viable strategy to enhance the pharmacological yield of A. annua.

Graphical abstract