Influence of bio-fertilizer containing beneficial fungi and rhizospheric bacteria on health promoting compounds and antioxidant activity of Spinacia oleracea L.

Abstract Background This study evaluates the influences of bio fertilizers containing mycorrhizal fungi (Glomus fasciculatum, Glomus mosseae) individually or in combination with N-fixer (Azotobacter chroococcum), K solubilizer (Bacillus mucilaginous) and P solubilizer (Bacillus megaterium) on soil fertility and phytochemical levels of spinach. Results Root colonization by mycorrhizal fungi was increased in the presence of bacterial inoculation in comparison to individual inoculation treatments. Inoculation of bio fertilizer containing mycorrhizal fungi and bacterial species considerably augmented the concentration of total phenolic compounds, flavonoids and phenolic acid contents. The 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging capacity of spinach was found to be positively coincided with flavonoid contents, while partially correlated with total phenolic compounds and phenolic acids. Further, the HPLC analysis showed that significantly higher antioxidant activity of spinach was correlated with quercetin contents and chlorogenic acid. Chlorophyll contents were also increased following the bio fertilization treatments. Conclusion Results revealed that these microbes are useful tool for improving health promoting compounds in spinach