ABSTRACT
Background: Thymol and Carvaerol are the two important secondary metabolites from Thymus vulgaris that productions of them are controlled by genetic and environmental factors
Objective: Evaluation of Water stress effects on expression of three important genes of thymol and carvacrol biosynthetic pathway and also physiological and phytochemical properties of Thymus vulgaris
Methods: The present study was conducted in a randomized complete block design with 4 treatments and 3 replications in Institute of Medicinal Plants, ACECR, Karaj
For this purpose, the treatments were selected as control [FC], 70% of FC, 40% of FC, and 20% of FC. Gene expression was studied using real-time PCR method, and HPLC was applied to essence analysis. Also physiological characteristic including chlorophyll content, relative water content, electrolyte leakage percentage and carotenoids content were analyzed
Results: The results revealed that water stress significantly influenced the gene expression [P< 0.05]. The highest gene expression of DXR and TctpsS was observed in 70% of FC, while the highest one of TvTPSl was recorded in 40% of FC. Moreover, the maximum thymol and carvacrol was found in 70% of FC. In other hand the highest chlorophyll content and corotenoids content were obtained in 100% and 70% of FC respectively. Also there were not significant differences between treatments for relative water content and electrolyte leakage percentage
Conclusion: The 70% of FC through influencing of genes in the firs and last of MEP pathway increased thymol and carvacrol production