Effect of physicochemical properties of soil on secondary metabolites of Calotropis gigantea L W T Aiton from the Shivalik hills

Abstract

newlineAbstract newlineCalotropis gigantea (family Asclepiadaceae) commonly known as Sweta Arka is a highly newlinemedicinal drought resistant and relatively high degree salt tolerant wild plant species of the newlineIndian Himalayan region. The plant has been reported to be effective in more than hundred newlinehuman diseases. Literature shows that the medicinal properties of plants are due to the presence newlineof secondary metabolites which are implicated in most plants therapeutic activities. In plants the newlinecontent of secondary metabolites depends on various factors like genetic, ecological and soil newlinefactors. Therefore, present investigation deals with to study the effects on physicochemical newlineproperties of soil on secondary metabolites of Calotropis gigantea (L) W. T. Aiton. To solve the newlinecurrent problem, C. gigantea leaves and latex were collected from the plants grown in five newlinedistricts (Hamirpur, Una, Solan, Sirmour and Kangra) of Himachal Pradesh within the range of newlinethe Shivalik hills. The phytochemical analysis of leaves and latex extract was performed using newlineGC-MS analysis. On the other hand, for physicochemical analysis soils of rhizosphere were newlinecollected and used to study different soil properties (particle size analysis, moisture content, pH, newlineorganic carbon, available N, K, CEC) using standard procedure. newlineResults of phytochemical study showed that C. gigantea plants were rich in metabolites like newlinecarbohydrates, fatty acids, proteins, hydrocarbons, alcohol, alkaloids, sterols, phenols and newlineterpenes etc. Total 46 compounds were identified from leaf and latex methanol extracts of C. newlinegigantea, out of which 24 were obtained from leaves, whereas 22 were obtained from latex. The newlinecomparative GC-MS analysis of latex extract of C. gigantea from all districts showed total 34 newlinecompounds. Out of 34 compounds, 21 were reported from Kangra and Sirmour district; 16 newlinecompounds were obtained from the Hamirpur and Solan districts whereas 15 were observed from newlineUna districts. Study also showed variation in the distribution of chemical compounds of all newlinedistricts. The results of physicochemical properties of soil showed non-significant variation in newlinethree parameters (particle size analysis, pH and organic carbon) and significant variation with newlinefour parameters (moisture content, available N, K and CEC) from all the districts. newlinePhysicochemical study concludes that soil of different region or districts of Himachal Pradesh newlinehas similar properties w.r.t. pH and percentage of organic carbon available in soil and soil newlinetexture. Variation was observed only with moisture content available K and cations exchange newlinecapacity, which concludes that these properties could be responsible for variation in the chemical newlineprofile of C. gigantea of five districts with other unknown ecological factors.