Elucidating the Plant Growth Potential of Triazole Conjoined Silatrane on Cajanus cajan and Its in Silico Approach

Abstract

Germination is a process that can alter the composition of nutrients and antinutrients in legume seeds. In the current study, a modified Schiff base triazole conjoined silatrane compound was synthesized through copper(i) catalyzed alkyne azide cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction which was characterized using 1H NMR, 13C NMR and mass spectrometry. The synthesized compound 6 has emerged as a promising plant growth regulator for the economically important plant, Cajanus cajan (C. cajan), the sixth most extensively cultivated legume. The influence of varying concentrations of compound 6 on plant bioassays, encompassing various parameters were investigated and compared against a control group. Among the concentrations tested, compound 6 at 5 mg L-1 exhibited notable potency, outperforming both other dosages and the control group across most of the evaluated metrics. A computational molecular docking study was conducted to analyze the binding interaction between compound 6 and plant growth protein, revealing a favorable binding energy of -7.41 kcal mol-1. The docking outcomes achieved with compound 6 were validated by comparing them with the results obtained using a commercially accessible PGR, paclobutrazol exhibiting -3.87 kcal mol-1, indicating usage of compound 6 as an effective plant growth regulator with enhanced efficacy for future applications.