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Two biostimulants, one derived from alfalfa plants (AH) and the other obtained from red grape (RG), were chemically characterized using enzyme linked immuno-sorbent assays, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and Raman spectroscopies. Two doses (50 and 100mL L-1 for RG, and 25 and 50mL L-1 for AH) of biostimulants were applied to Capsicum chinensis L. plants cultivated in pots inside a tunnel. The experimental design consisted of the factorial combination of treatment (no biostimulant, plus AH, plus RG) at three doses (zero, low, and high) and two time-course applications (at the second and fourth week after transplantation) and the effects were recorded at flowering and maturity. Both biostimulants contained different amounts of indoleacetic acid and isopentenyladenosine; the AH spectra exhibited amino acid functional groups in the peptidic structure, while the RG spectra showed the presence of polyphenols, such as resveratrol. These results revealed that at flowering, RG and AH increased the weights of fresh leaves and fruits and the number of green fruits, whereas at maturity, the biostimulants most affected the fresh weight and number of red fruits. At flowering, the leaves of the treated plants contained high amounts of epicatechin, ascorbic acid, quercetin, and dihydrocapsaicin. At maturity, the leaves of the treated plants exhibited elevated amounts of fructose, glucose, chlorogenic, and ferulic acids. Moreover, green fruits exhibited a high content of chlorogenic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, p-coumaric acid and antioxidant activity, while both AH- and RG-treated red fruits were highly endowed in capsaicin. The 1H high-resolution magic-angle spinning (HRMAS)-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of red fruits revealed that both products induced a high amount of NADP+, whereas RG also increased glucose, fumarate, ascorbate, thymidine and high molecular weight species. Our results suggested that AH and RG promoted plant growth and the production of secondary metabolites, such as phenols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concentrations of aliphatic acids, phenolic acid, and inorganic nutrients, as well as hormone-like activity, were determined in soil dissolved organic matter (DOM) from two forest sites in N Italy showing differing degrees of silver fir regeneration. In the site where silver fir recruitment was abundant, humification processes prevailed, and the soil DOM had a high content in aliphatic and phenolic acids. This enhanced the hormone-like activity in the soil, which could in turn promote growth of silver fir seedlings. In the site with poor fir recruitment, the soil DOM underwent rapid mineralization and was richer in inorganic nutrients, but had lower concentrations of aliphatic and phenolic acids, and lower hormone-like activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant benefit of soil organic matter (SOM) to crop productivity is scientifically well documented. The main constituents and active fractions of SOM are humic substances (HS) and phenolic compounds. Since both these two components strongly impact plant–soil relationship, it is importantly from an ecological point of view to discriminate their biological effects and relating them to their composition. In this study we compared the biological effects of HS, and the soil water soluble phenols (SWSP) on growth, antioxidant activities, carbohydrates, proteins, phenols, and vitamins of Pinus laricio callus. Each extract was assessed for the content of low molecular weight organic acids, soluble carbohydrates, fatty acids, and phenolic acids. Moreover, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopies were applied to study their molecular structure. The results showed that HS produced better callus growth compared to the control and SWSP. Carbohydrates decreased in presence of HS while proteins, vitamin C and E increased. In contrast, in callus treated with SWSP the amount of glucose and fructose increased as well as all the antioxidant activities. The data evidenced that HS rich in tartaric and fatty acids had beneficial effects on callus growth contrary to soil water-soluble phenols rich in aldehydes, and syringic, ferulic, and benzoic acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]