Impact of salinity and harvest date on the yield, phenolic and volatile contents of thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.), coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) and dill (Anethum graveolens L.)

Zamljen, Tilen (author), Veberič, Robert (author), Grohar, Mariana Cecilia (author)

Salinity is a major abiotic stress factor affecting global agriculture and herb cultivation. Recently, controlled salinity stress has gained attention for enhancing herb quality without decreasing yield quantity. Exposure to 100 mM NaCl significantly decreased yield, SPAD values, and chlorophyll a content. Phenolic acids were the dominant phenolic group, though their levels decreased under salinity. Notably, certain compounds, such as salvianolic acid derivatives and apigenin hexosides (25 % to 75 %), increased. Volatile profiles also shifted, with reductions in monoterpenes and aldehydes and increases in esters (37.2 %) and compounds like carvacrol (78.7 %) in thyme grown under saline conditions. Activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and peroxidase (POX) varied significantly among treatments. These results suggest that salinity induces species- and compoundspecific responses, offering potential to manipulate stress conditions for improved phytochemical profiles. Further research is needed to optimize controlled stress applications in herb production for enhanced quality and functional value.

• Language: English
• Keywords: food, herbs, volatiles, phenolics, yield, salt stress, enzymes
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 1-11
• Numbering: Vol. 352, art. 114445
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-175134
• UDC: 633.82
• ISSN on article: 1879-1018
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scienta.2025.114445
• COBISS.SI-ID: 253635075
• Publication date in RUL: 17.10.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Scientia horticulturae
• Shortened title: Sci. hortic.
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 1879-1018
• COBISS.SI-ID: 23111173

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: živila, zelišča, hlapne spojine, fenolne spojine, pridelek, slanostni stres, encimi

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P4-0013
• Name: Hortikultura

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: I0-0022
• Name: Mreža raziskovalnih infrastrukturnih centrov Univerze v Ljubljani (MRIC UL)