CHITOSAN AND AMINO ACIDS-COATED NANOPARTICLES POSITIVELY ALTERED ATROPINE ACCUMULATION, THE GENE EXPRESSION OF Tropinone reductase 1 AND THE YIELD OF Datura innoxia MILL

Two consecutive seasons (2020 and 2021) were held for cultivating Datura innoxia Mill as a medicinal plant for increasing the production of seeds and active ingredients as a native goal for our economy by using several aspects of chitosan (bulky and nanoparticles) as a biocompatible and biodegradable substance because of its crustacean origin and amino acids (individually and loaded onto chitosan nanoparticles). Data showed that formulated chitosan nanoparticles 100 mg/L loaded with methionine 40 mg/L gave an excellent record of fruit number per plant and seed weight per plant, and the highest protein content combined with the lowest range of the toxic compound malondialdehyde. Additionally, applying chitosan nanoparticles 50 mg/L coated with methionine 40 mg/L to D. innoxia plants resulted in the highest accumulation of atropine alkaloid and several polypeptides in the protein electrophoresis (SDS PAGE) when compared with control. Furthermore, in the roots of D. innoxia, where tropane alkaloids are synthesized, this application induced the expression of the tropinone reductase 1 (DiTR1) gene, a key gene in the synthesis of tropane alkaloids. So, the target of using nanotechnology applications (chitosan nanoparticles functionalized with methionine) in agriculture, especially medicinal plants, to increase yield and secondary metabolites has proven helpful, according to our findings. Future biological studies for these treatments are recommended, in order to test their safety on plants and humans.