Background : Mistletoe grown in eurasian continent range from England to northern Asia. It has abundant chlorophyll and phenolic compound in node and leaf which has anticancer activity. The purpose of the study is to improve nutritional quality and composition of the amino acids and mineral along with increasing seed set rates and productivity of Viscum album on Prunus mume.
Methods and Results : This study was conducted to compare plant nutrients such as total nitrogen, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P and composition of amimo acids in leaves between Viscum album and its host tree, Prunus mume, which were artificially cultivated in field and green house with or without treatment of fertilizer. Total nirogen content in leaves of mistletoe and its host tree, Prunus mume was 3.90% and 2.09% in the fields fertilized and non-fertilized, respectively. In a greenhouse fertilized, mistletoe leaves contained higher nitrogen (3.78%) compared to the host tree (3.06%). NO3-N content in leaves was also higher in mistletoe (37.5 ppm & 20 ppm) than in host tree (22.5 ppm & 12 ppm) in a field fertilized and non-fertilized. Ca content (1.18%) were same in leaves of mistletoe and host tree in the field fertilized. Contents of Fe, K, and Mn in leaves of mistletoe were 61.37 ㎎/㎏, 3.33%, and 127.59 ㎎/㎏, which were 16%, 13%, and 48% lower than host tree, respectively. On the other hand, contents of Mg, N, and P were 0.22%, 127.95 ㎎/㎏, and 0.48%, which were 5%, 148%, and 92% higher than host tree, respectively. K contents were higher in host tree fertilized (3.33% in field & 2.55% in greenhouse) while higher K (4.07%) was contained in a field non-fertilized compare to host tree (3.96%). However, P content was higher in mistletoe grown in field (0.48%) and greenhouse (0.42%) fertilized. In non-fertilized field, mistletoe leaves contained higher P (0.65%) rather than in host tree (0.29%). Eighteen kinds of amino acids were investigated in leaves of host plant by 20 - 87%.
Conclusion : This study indicates that nutrient management including fertilization is important to improve nutritional quality and productivity of mistletoe in the artificial cultivation on Prunus mume.