Effect of chitosan and salicylic acid as exogenous elicitors on growth and biochemical constituents of broccoli seed sprouts

The effect of chitosan and salicylic acid treatments to investigate the seedling growth parameters of Broccoli seed sprouts (Tiburon f1) cultivar was the aim of this study. Salicylic Acid and Chitosan are the )elicitors( that stimulate the sprout, which are divided into Biotic (biological origin), abiotic (chemical or physical origin) elicitors and phytohormones have been applied alone or in combinations, in hydroponic solutions or sprays, and in different selected time points of the sprout growth or during post-harvest. Cumulative time had been completed (harvest time) using tap water, chitosan at 25, 50,100 ppm and salicylic acid at 65,130,260 ppm for seed soaking and sprouting , then precooled and air-dried sprouts were randomly chosen from glass jar (replicate) to collect data of sprout length, hypocotyl length, radical length, dry weight and fresh weight. Also, Samples of harvested 3, 5 and 7 days old etiolated broccoli dried using air draft oven at 65.5C° then grounded into powder for chemical analysis while fresh sprouts and seeds were analyzed for total phenols. However treatment with chitosan at 100 ppm cleared that the moisture, protein, ash, fiber, calcium , potassium, and total phenols of sprouts were increased by 9.63%, 33.73%, 11.80, 11.67%, 336.50 ppm, 196.43 ppm and 66.51mg/100g, respectively. Treated sprouts with salicylic acid at 65 ppm concentrate were also induced an increments on the same constituents reached 9.53%, 33.40%, 11.63, 10.46%, 333.50 ppm, 190.60 ppm and 62.90mg/100g, respectively over control (untreated). Therefore, treated sprouts with chitosan or salicylic acid could be considered as useful tool for improving the growth characters and bioactive metabolites of Broccoli seed sprouts For their Production of anti-cancer materials, As well secondary metabolic pathways respond to specific treatments with elicitors would be the basis for to enhance the production of secondary metabolites, in order to produce quality and healthy fresh foods