Smoke-water improves shoot growth and indigo accumulation in shoots of Isatis indigotica seedlings

Although smoke treatments have successfully been used for promoting the germination of many seeds, there are no reports on the effect of smoke on secondary metabolite production in plants. This study highlights the effects of smoke-water on shoot growth and accumulation of indigo in shoots of Isatis indigotica Fort., a Chinese medicinal plant. Results showed that seedlings treated with smoke-water at a dilution of 1:1000 achieved the highest fresh and dry shoot mass, which was significantly (P < 0.05) different from the control and other smoke-water dilutions tested. A higher concentration of smoke-water (1:500) significantly increased (P < 0.05) the indigo concentration in shoots compared with untreated seedlings. The effect of 1:1000 and 1:2000 dilutions gave non-significant increases in the concentration of indigo. These findings suggest the possible use of smoke-water for promoting the growth and accumulation of secondary metabolites in plants.