Abstract
The production of secondary metabolites in medicinal plants is influenced by quality of light. Two senna cultivars (ALFT 2 and Sona) were studied under field conditions at four different light levels (25, 50, 70 and 100 % of full sunlight) for photosynthetic performance and sennoside accumulation. The cultivar ALFT 2 recorded highest P n values of 31.27 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1 at 100 days after sowing (DAS), whereas Sona recorded the highest value of 30.7 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1 at 60 DAS under 100 % light. Lowest P n values of 12.1 and 11.07 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1 were recorded in ALFT 2 (120 DAS) and Sona (150 DAS), respectively under 25 % light. Sennoside A reduced by 30 % under 25 % light in leaf tissue of ALFT 2, whereas, a reduction of only 16 % was observed in Sona. Highest sennoside B content was observed in ALFT 2 under full sun light (2.03 %). ALFT 2 recorded comparatively higher total sennosides (4.76 %) in pods than Sona (4.57 %) under full light. The gradual decline in P n with later growth stages could be the reason for steady decline in sennosides content, particularly in the leaves and pods of both the cultivars.
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Raju, S., Shah, S. & Gajbhiye, N. Effect of light intensity on photosynthesis and accumulation of sennosides in plant parts of senna (Cassia angustifolia Vahl.). Ind J Plant Physiol. 18, 285–289 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40502-013-0038-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40502-013-0038-7