Source: Journal of Plant Stress Physiology
P. Sakthivel, R. Sridharan.
Influence of indole-3-butyric acid and triazole compounds on the photosynthetic pigments and biochemical constituents of Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal P. Sakthivel and R. Sridharan* Plant Growth Regulation Lab, Department of Botany, Annamalai University Annamalai Nagar- 608 002, Tamil Nadu, India. Abstract Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal is popularly known as Ashwagandha and also called Indian Ginseng and Winter Cherry. It is an important medicinal plant used in Indian System of Medicines like Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani. The root of this plant has nutritional and medicinal values out of which health foods and herbal tonic are prepared. The root has high demand in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries, so that it is essential to increase the root yield. This is new phenomenon to increase root yield as well as improve the biochemical constituents by using plant growth regulators. In the present investigation, the influence of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and triazole compounds viz., triadimefon (TDM) and propiconazole (PCZ) on the photosynthetic pigments and biochemical constituents of ashwagandha. Plants were treated with IBA 2.5 mgL-1, TDM 20 mgL-1 and PCZ 20 mgL-1 separately by soil drenching on 50, 90 and 130 days after sowing (DAS). Plants were analyzed randomly on 60, 100 and 140 DAS and its parameters like, photosynthetic pigments (total chlorophyll, carotenoids, anthocyanin and xanthophylls) in leaf and biochemical constituents (starch, protein and amino acids) in leaf, stem and root organs of Ashwagandha. It was determined that total chlorophyll, carotenoids, anthocyanin and xanthophylls, starch, protein and amino acids content were increased in all the treatments. Among the treatments, triazole compounds showed beneficial due to the enhanced the photosynthetic pigments and increased biochemical contents higher level than followed by IBA treatment. From our results it can be concluded that, the triazole shows great significance application at low concentration could be a potential agronomical tool for successfully cultivation of this medicinally important root crops. Triazole compounds enhanced the photo-assimilate to shifting partition from leaves to roots and also alter mineral uptake and plant nutrition, This characters can be employed to satisfy needs of enhanced the photosynthetic pigments and biochemical constituents in Ashwagandha. Key words: Ashwagandha, Medicinal Plant, Photosynthetic Pigments, Biochemical Constituents, IBA, Triazole. *Address for Correspondence: Dr.R.Sridharan, Associate Professor Plant Growth Regulation Lab, Department of Botany, Annamalai University, Chidambaram,Tamil Nadu, India. Tel: +91-04144-238887, Fax: +91-04144-238080. E-mail: sridharanbot@gmail.com 1. Introduction Medicinal Plants have been considered since time immemorial as an alternative source of a wide range of chemical compounds including pharmaceuticals, flavors, fragrance, colors and insecticides. These compounds are collectively known as secondary metabolites in medicinal and aromatic plants and used as the remedy for health problems (Hussain, 1991; Okigbo et al., 2009). India has been known to be a rich repository of medicinal plants. Several scientific studies conducted throughout the world have revealed and confirmed the dramatic medicinal properties by their inherent nature of containing various phytochemicals like flavonoids, carotenoids and alkaloids etc. In Indias progress in improving the cultivation of traditional medicinal crops is a matter of pride for the nation. However, compared to other crops, little attention seems to have been given to medicinal plants which occupy a unique place in the Indian socio-economy (Jakhar et al., 2003). Therefore, many scientists have repeatedly advocated to undertake applied and fundamental research work on cultivation of medicinal plants, several of which may attain the positi