Ascorbic acid mediated mitigation of drought effects on growth, physiology, and essential oil profile in culantro (Eryngium foetidum L.)

The negative effects of drought can be reduced by the application of ascorbic acid (AsA), an important non-enzymatic antioxidant in plants. Culantro (Eryngium foetidum L.) is a perennial leafy herb rich in essential oils, used in both culinary and traditional medicine. In this study, we assessed the action of AsA on the growth, morphophysiology, and essential oil profile of culantro plants under water stress. For this purpose, plants were cultivated under well-irrigated and drought conditions, and sprayed with AsA (100 µM) or water (control). Drought reduced growth and FV/FM, and increased transpiration and pigment concentration. AsA, on the other hand, restored pigment concentration to non-stress conditions. Furthermore, drought and exogenous AsA led to changes in the essential oil profile. The application of AsA and drought modulated qualitatively the essential oil profile in culantro, with dodecanal being the compound that most contributed to this profile separation. Thus, the application of 100 µM AsA is a possible strategy for modifying the production of compounds in culantro. This is the first report that exogenous AsA and drought affect the growth and essential oil composition of culantro. These results offer new insights and contribute to understanding the effects of AsA on drought mitigation, as well as its modulation of the essential oil profile in aromatic plant species.