Antioxidant Remodeling in Yellow Marigold Under Ethephon and Urea Treatment: A Nutritional Perspective

Environmental stress can boost the production of secondary chemicals, essential oils, and flavoring components in leaf tissues. This study aimed to evaluate the different parameters and antioxidant property of yellow marigold (Tagetes erecta) under the combined effect of ethephon, a plant growth regulator (PGR), with urea. The phenolic content of marigold samples were measured at 765 nm using UV-Visible spectrophotometry in order to assess the antioxidant capacity. Ethephon treatment with urea showed varying effects on the phenolic contents. Earlier harvested yellow marigold (Tagetes erecta) flowers demonstrated considerable increases in phenolic contents, suggesting a quantitative enhancement to antioxidant capacities. However, later on harvested flowers produced a lower phenolic contents, indicating the complex interaction between ethephon and urea. These findings suggest that enhancing the interaction between ethephon and urea may significantly increase yellow marigold's (Tagetes erecta) antioxidant capability.