THE EFFECT OF LIME WITCHES' BROOM PHYTOPLASMA INFECTION ON PHENOLIC CONTENT OF LIME LEAVES

Document Type : Research Article

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Abstract

The effect of lime witches’broomphytoplasmainfectinon the content ofpolyphenols, flavonoidsand two other important compounds dealing with the biosynthesis ofphenolics (i.e. carbohydrates and phenylalaninammonialyase) in lime leaves was investigated. Sampling from healthy and infected plants weretaken. at12 and 16 weeks after inoculation.Despite many reports indicating the increase of phenoliccompounds under stress conditions, the results obtained from the qualitative and quantitative study of these compounds usingspectrophotometryand gas-liquid chromatography showed a significant decrease ofsoluble carbohydrates, phenylalaninammonialyae, total phenolicandflavonoidcompoundsin infected compared to that in healthy plants. The content ofphenoliccompounds decreased in both sampling times.

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