Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42521988›Full record

ArticleBMC plant biology2026

Benzoic acid versus salicylic acid efficacy in regulating growth, accumulation of secondary metabolites and NO

Nora A AbdelMotlb, Gamal S Riad, Dina M Salama, Sabry M Youssef, Salama A Abd Elhady, Mostafa G Shahin, Hani S Saudy, Amr A Metwally

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in BMC plant biology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Nora A AbdelMotlbVegetable Research Department, Agricultural and Biology Research Institute, National Research Centre, El Buhouth St, Cairo, 12622, Egypt.
Gamal S RiadVegetable Research Department, Agricultural and Biology Research Institute, National Research Centre, El Buhouth St, Cairo, 12622, Egypt.
Dina M SalamaVegetable Research Department, Agricultural and Biology Research Institute, National Research Centre, El Buhouth St, Cairo, 12622, Egypt.
Sabry M YoussefDepartment of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Cairo, 11566, Egypt.
Salama A Abd ElhadyDepartment of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Cairo, 11566, Egypt.
Mostafa G ShahinAgronomy Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Cairo, 11566, Egypt.
Hani S SaudyAgronomy Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Cairo, 11566, Egypt. hani_saudy@agr.asu.edu.eg.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6341-6156
Amr A MetwallyDepartment of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Cairo, 11566, Egypt.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeSalicylic acid (SA) and benzoic acid (BA) are important phenolic regulators involved in plant growth and defense; however, their comparative roles in modulating growth and secondary metabolites production in leafy vegetables remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the influence of exogenous SA and BA on growth, mineral composition, and bioactive compound accumulation in Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris L. var. cicla).

methodsField experiments were conducted over two successive seasons of 2023/24 and 2024/25 to assess the influence of SA and BA on Swiss chard cv. Ruby Red. Plants were treated with SA and BA at 1, 2, and 3 mM, each alongside an untreated control. Treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. Beside the agronomic attributes, photosynthetic pigments, total phenols, total flavonoids, total antioxidant activity, total indoles, anthocyanin, nitrate, and mineral content were assayed.

resultsBoth SA and BA significantly improved growth parameters, mineral content, and secondary metabolites accumulation compared to the control. SA at 1 mM or BA 1 mM were the most effective treatments, showing the highest significant values of vegetative parameters, photosynthetic pigments, total phenolics, total flavonoids, total antioxidant activity, total indoles, anthocyanin, and mineral content. Further, BA 1 mM was the potent treatment for lowering leaf nitrate content, showing the lowest nitrate content, which was significantly lower than SA at 2 and 3 mM. Correlation analysis revealed strong positive relationships between growth parameters and secondary metabolites.

conclusionBA behaves influence similar to SA for enhancing leaves yield with higher efficacy in reducing nitrate content via enhancing the efficiency of photosynthetic pigments and regulating various secondary metabolites. Herein, BA at low concentration (1 mM) is a promising rate to be applied to obtain high yield with good quality.

Indexed as

Benzoic AcidNitratesPlant Growth RegulatorsSalicylic AcidSecondary MetabolismAntioxidantsFlavonoidsPhenolsPlant LeavesAntioxidantsBenzoic AcidFlavonoidsNitratesPhenolsPlant Growth RegulatorsSalicylic Acid2-hydroxybenzoic acidBenzenecarboxylic acidHormonal balanceNitrate levelNutritional statusSwiss chard quality

Identifiers

PMID42521988
PMCPMC13418131

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.