Screening of Superior Phenotypic and Physicochemical Indices of Equisetum arvense L. Using Path Analysis

Horsetail (Equisetum arvense) has gained prominence in the herbal products industry, particularly for nail and hair-strengthening formulations, owing to its high silicon (Si) content. Silicon plays a crucial role in the plant's synthesis of key antioxidants, specifically phenolic and flavonoid compounds. Therefore, identifying methods to enhance the Si content in plants is of paramount importance. This study aimed to investigate and attempt to assess how inorganic (nitrogen and silicon) and organic (rice husk) compounds influence the phytochemical and growth properties of E. arvense. For this purpose, an RCBD experiment with three replications was conducted at the Rice Research Institute of Iran in ۲۰۱۹. The treatments included organic (rice husk) and inorganic (N and Si) fertilizers at varying proportions. The experiment results showed that the majority of traits were highly correlated with each other. Total flavonoid content exhibited the strongest correlations with total phenolic content (۰.۷۰۹) and rhizome count per plant (۰.۷۷۱), both of which were positive and statistically significant. Four types of models were generated four the stepwise regression analysis phase, in which total phenolic and total flavonoid contents exerted had the most significant influence in determining silicon content. The R² values for the models were as follows: Model ۱ (۲۲.۱%), Model ۲ (۳۷.۵%), Model ۳ (۵۹.۶%), and Model ۴ (۶۳%). The direct positive effect for total phenolic content had a direct positive effect of ۰.۴۷۰ content was ۰.۴۷۰, while total flavonoid content showed a direct positive effect of ۰.۸۶۶ and a direct negative effect of -۰.۵۵۸. POD enzymatic activity demonstrated direct positive effects (۱.۵۲۴) as well as direct negative effects (-۰.۸۲۲ and -۰.۶۹۱). For stem length, direct positive effects were observed (۱.۳۱۲ and ۰.۳۲۰), along with direct negative effects (-۰.۵۵۸, -۰.۶۰۵, -۰.۶۹۱, and -۰.۸۳۱).

کلیدواژه ها:

horsetail ، organic and inorganic elements ، Path analysis ، Stepwise regression