Municipal solid waste compost application improves productivity, polyphenol content, and antioxidant capacity of Mesembryanthemum edule
Highlights
► We used municipal waste compost 40 t ha−1 to improve plant antioxidant activities. ► Slow-release fertilizer effect of compost enhanced growth of Mesembryanthemum edule. ► Compost amendment positively affect polyphenol contents and antioxidant capacities. ► The levels of heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cu, and Zn) were under allowed limits.
Introduction
Degraded soil quality, as poor surface soil aggregation, high bulk density, low porosity, and slow infiltration, is considered as a major environmental factor restricting plant growth and productivity [1]. This environmental issue, mainly observed in arid and semi-arid areas, is to a great extent due to the scarcity of precipitation and the intensive land exploration. Meanwhile, the growing global demand for food implies the need to increase crop production through specific agricultural fertilization practices. Therefore, there is growing interest in developing simple methodologies to increase the productivity in such affected areas. Various organic amendments, such as manures, have been investigated for their effectiveness in soil remediation [2]. Increasing soil organic matter content through the addition of organic amendments has proven to be a valuable practice for maintaining or restoring soil quality [3]. Interestingly, Hadas and Portnoy [4] showed that a 20-year compost application period (yearly average compost load 15 t ha−1) led to the increase of humus content by 0.4–0.5%. Comparatively, the above-mentioned parameter decreased by 0.5% in the case of inorganic fertilization. Besides improving crop yield, the utilization of organic amendments could be extended to enhance the productivity of plant rich in active substances used as antioxidants, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. Many spontaneous plants contain significant levels of biologically active compounds that provide health benefits and basic nutrition. In the biomedical area, these plants are highly attractive mainly for their bioactive substances used as antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral, and anti-tumor drugs [5].
Application of MSW compost has beneficial impacts on soil fertility and physico-chemical properties [6]. MSW compost utilization may promote nutrient availability, plant growth, stimulate respiration, photosynthesis, and chlorophyll content [2]. Interestingly, the yield of the essential oils and main components of medicinal plant Origanum dictamnus cultivated on soil amended with organic amendment was increased [7]. Recently, Jin et al. [8], reported higher antioxidant capacities, polyphenol and flavonoid contents of strawberries produced from organic culture compared to conventional culture. Hence, one may reasonably hypothesize that MSW compost could be beneficial for Mesembryanthemum edule (M. edule) (Aizoaceae family), an edible plant naturally rich in bioactive substances, commonly found in the semi-arid zones of Tunisia [5]. This species is known for its pharmacological potential, mainly as antiseptic poultices for sores, burns, scalds, and as gargled to treat mouth infections [5]. It can also been taken orally to treat dysentery and tuberculosis, and as a diuretic in South African traditional medicine [9]. It is also worth mentioning that a number of phenolic compounds including rutin, hyperoside, quercitrin and kampferol were isolated from M. edule shoots [5].
However, the agricultural excessive application of composts and/or their low quality can be environmentally hazardous because of the accumulation of micro-pollutants such as heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cu, …). This aspect must be taken into account to ensure a safe use of this byproduct as a soil conditioner [9].
Interestingly, data related to the impact of the supply of MSW compost on plant phenolic compounds and related risks are relatively scarce. Thus, the main objective of this study was to investigate the impact of MSW compost on the medicinal plant M. edule. Plant growth, mineral nutrition, polyphenol contents (total polyphenol, flavonoid, and condensed tannin), antioxidant activities, and Pb, Cd, Cu, and Zn concentrations were emphasized.
Section snippets
Culture conditions and sampling
M. edule plants were collected from Borj-Cedria seashore situated in the North-East of Tunisia (25 km from Tunis). Three cm long-stem segments with one node and two opposite leaves were taken from mother plants, and placed in pots (20 cm diameter and 30 cm height) filled with sandy soil added with 0 t ha−1 (control: C) or 40 t ha−1 MSW compost (MSW). The compost was prepared at the pilot composting station of Beja (100 km west of Tunis). Preparing MSW compost started by stoking the wastes on big piles
Soil properties
MSW compost incorporation slightly reduced the soil pH in MSW treatment, while EC was significantly increased (Table 2). Carbon and nitrogen contents were significantly increased with the supply of MSW compost, as compared to control. Increases were also measured for soil soluble nutrient contents Ca, K, and P, however, no variation of Mg was recorded.
Plant growth and macro and micro-elements uptake
MSW compost application induced a significant increase of DW by more than 90%, as compared to the control (Fig. 1A). Similarly, RGR was highly
Effect of MSW compost on plant growth and nutrition
The present study showed a marked enhancement of biomass production when M. edule plants were grown on 40 t ha−1 MSW compost amended soil (Fig. 1). This result is in agreement with recent findings [22], highlighting the positive impact of urban waste compost application on wheat growth. Several authors have shown that the application of mature compost at reasonable rates improves soil physico-chemical properties and enhances micro organism activity [2], [6]. The observed decrease of pH plays an
Conclusion
The present study revealed that the application of MSW compost at 40 t ha−1 as soil amendment improved M. edule biomass production along with the enhancement of polyphenol contents and antioxidant capacities. This behaviour can be attributed to the slow-release fertilizer effect of MSW compost constituting a promising approach for restoring sustaining soil properties and promoting productivity of plant source of bioactive substances. The levels of heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cu, and Zn) in the MSW
Acknowledgement
This work was supported by Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and technology (LR02CB02).
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