Assessment of Phenotypic and Genotypic diversity in Eclipta Alba L hassk an important medicinal plant

Abstract

The knowledge about medicinal potentials of different cytotypes, ecotypes, gene newlinecomplexes, interspecific hybrids within medicinal plants is the need of the hour. Keeping in view all of these facts there is a need to explore the medicinal plants from newlinecytomorphological and phytochemical parameters. Presently, as many as, 34 accessions of Elipta alba were collected from different places of Punjab, Chandigarh (Union newlineTerritory), Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and newlineKashmir. All accessions were maintained at Botanic Gardens, Punjabi University, Patiala. newlineThe present work was undertaken with aim of screening of North Indian E. alba germplasm for phenotypic (morphological, biochemical) and genotypic (cytological, molecular) variability. Attempt has also been made to induce variability utilizing in vitro newlinetechniques. Impact of agronomic inputs on growth of Bhringraj was also studied. newlineAccessions of Eclipta alba can be divided into three morphotypes viz. Erect, Semierect and Prostrate and two types of colour variants viz. light green and dark green. Cytological studies revealed that all the accessions are at diploid (2n= 22). It was found that the chiasmata frequency for prostrate type remained higher throughout the year in comparison to semierect and erect types. RAPD based analysis revealed accession newlinePHPS1 was found to be significantly different from the rest of the accessions. The newlinecorrelation study revealed that the various biochemicals in the leaves are positively and newlinesignificantly correlated with morphological characters such as plant height and leaf size. Among three morphotypes the semierect type showed higher amount of phytochemical newlineconstituents followed by erect types. The green Eclipta accessions showed higher amount newlineof mean values of various constituents as compared to the dark green colour variant. newline