Effect of Different Treatments on Dormancy Breaking for Seed Germination Enhancement and Metabolite Analysis of Capparis spinosa L.

Caper (Capparis spinosa L.) is a Mediterranean multifunctional crop recognized for its drought resistance as well as its capacity to preserve soil moisture. Caper is important in the world due to the important medicinal and nutritional compounds in its roots and leaves and has been considered by the pharmaceutical and food industries. Seed germination is poor owing to physical and physiological dormancy, which makes large-scale cultivation difficult. This research was done on February 2020 in the department of Agriculture, IROST. The effects of gibberellic acid (GA3) at three concentrations of 200, 400, and 600 mg/L, as well as pretreatment with concentrated sulfuric acid (H2SO4 98%) at four-time levels of 15, 30, 45, and 60 minutes, on dormancy breaking in capers, were investigated. Also, total flavonoids, total polyphenols, DPPH assay, and rutin content were analyzed. The findings revealed that 45 minutes of H2SO4 followed by 400 mg/L GA3 was the most efficient method for breaking the dormancy of dried caper seeds, with 81.5% germination, a 3.22 germination rate, and a 10.48 germination index. The highest concentration of metabolic properties in caper leaves was related to total polyphenols (2012.7 mg/g DW). On the other hand, the lowest value was related to rutin content (0.41 mg/g DW). The total flavonoid content was 64.28 mg/g DW, and the DPPH content was 69.06%. So, the results of this study can help improve and grow the output of capers because of the importance of growing them in dry conditions because of their deep root system.