Changes in Secondary Metabolites and Free Amino Acid Content in Tomato with LamiaceaeHerbs Companion Planting

摘要

The present experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of Lamiaceae herbs companion planting on growth and secondary metabolites changes in tomato plants. Furthermore, the free amino acid changes in tomato due to companion planting were also evaluated using tomato-basil companionship as a model. Four-week-old seedlings of tomato were grown in a pot containing autoclaved commercial soil with basil, peppermint and hyssop as a companion plant separately in different density. Four weeks after companion planting, tomato plants under 1:1 companionship with the herbs showed significant increase in dry weights of shoots compared to control. Higher density of the herbs on the other hand expressed a growth suppression on tomato possibly due to nutrient competition. By the LC-MS analysis, shikimic acid and apigenin were identified as the major secondary compounds found in tomato plants and 1:1 companionship with basil seemed to have a positive influence on their content in tomato shoots. On the other hand, in case of peppermint and hyssop, the increase was observed in all parts of tomato plants. In addition, promotion in several free amino acid contents was style="font-family:Verdana;"> also observed in tomato plants with basil companion planting compared to control. Thus, tomato plants grown with herb companion planting in 1:1 ratio seems to have a positive impact on growth of tomato. This positive influence might be related to the increase in some secondary metabolites and changes in the free amino acids observed in this study.