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Effect on essential oil components and wedelolactone content of a medicinal plant Eclipta alba due to modifications in the growth and morphology under different exposures of ultraviolet-B

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Abstract

In the present study sensitivity of a medicinal plant Eclipta alba L. (Hassk) (False daisy) was assessed under intermittent (IT) and continuous (CT) doses of elevated ultraviolet-B (eUV-B). Eclipta alba is rich in medicinally important phytochemical constituents, used against several diseases. The hypothesis of this study is that alterations in UV-B dose may modify the quantity and quality of medicinally valuable components with changes in the morphological and physiological parameters of test plant. To fulfill our hypothesis IT and CT of eUV-B (ambient ± 7.2 kJ m−2 day−2) was given for 130 and 240 h respectively to assess the impact of UV-B stress. Growth and physiological parameters were adversely affected under both the treatments with varying magnitude. The observation of leaf surfaces showed increase in stomatal and trichome densities suggesting the adaptive resilience of the plants against UV-B. Besides, biosynthesis of wedelolactone, a major medicinal compound of E. alba was observed to be stimulated under UV-B exposure. The essential oil content was reduced under IT while increased under CT. A total of 114 compounds were identified from oil extract of E. alba. n-Pentadecane (25.79%), n-Octadecane (12.98%), β-Farnesene (9.43%), α-Humulene (4.95%) (E)-Caryophyllene (4.87%), Phytol (4.25%), α-Copaene (2.26%), Humulene epoxide (1.46%), β-Pinene (1.07) and β-Caryophyllene oxide (1.06%) were identified as major components of oil. CT induced the synthesis of some medicinally important compounds such as α-terpineol, δ-cadinene, linolenic acid, methyl linoleate and myristic acid amide. Hence, the study revealed that continuous UV-B exposure of low intensity could be helpful for commercial exploitation of essential oil in E. alba.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are very grateful to the Head, Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu University for providing all necessary laboratory facilities, Co-ordinator CAS in Botany, FIST (DST) and ISLS, BHU. Special thanks to CSIR, New Delhi for financial support in the form of research project (CSIR\P-25\365). Kshama Rai is thankful to CAS, Centre for Advanced Studies, Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu University.

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  1. Laboratory of Air Pollution and Global Climate Change, Department of Botany, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India

    Kshama Rai & Shashi Bhushan Agrawal

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Rai, K., Agrawal, S.B. Effect on essential oil components and wedelolactone content of a medicinal plant Eclipta alba due to modifications in the growth and morphology under different exposures of ultraviolet-B. Physiol Mol Biol Plants 26, 773–792 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-020-00780-8

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