scholarly journals Alteration in Biochemical Constituents and Nutrients Partitioning of Asparagus Racemosus in Response to Elevated Atmospheric CO2 Concentration

Author(s):  
Rupali Sharma ◽  
Hukum Singh

Abstract Human-induced CO2 emissions since the preindustrial era have accumulated CO2 in the atmosphere which has influenced the plant structure and function including bio-chemical constituents of the plant system. The Himalayan vegetation has been predicted to be more vulnerable and sensitive to climate change. However, it is still not well documented that how atmospheric CO2 concentration will change the biochemical constituents considering nutrients status of Himalayan endangered plants in future climate change. Hence, we examined the impacts of elevated CO2 concentrations (ambient- ~ 400, 600, and 800 µmol CO2 mol− 1) on biochemical constituents (chlorophyll, carotenoids, ascorbic acid, protein, and total sugars and carbon partitioning) and nutrients response (potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium) in leaf, stem and root tissue of Asparagus racemosus Willd. (an endangered medicinal plant species of Himalayas). The results showed that the elevated CO2 concentration significantly (p ≤ 0.05) enhanced the chlorophyll, protein, total sugars, and carbon accumulation conversely diminished ascorbic acid in leaf tissues. The nutrients accumulation especially potassium and magnesium were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) improved while phosphorus accumulation suppressed under elevated CO2 concentration. Moreover, elevated CO2 notably altered protein, sugars, carbon, and nutrients partitioning in plant tissues viz. leaf, stem, and root of A. racemosus. The fate of rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations beyond 800 µmol CO2 mol− 1 will require much more study. Further studies are needed to understand the impacts of elevated CO2 concentration as well as a combination with other associated climatic variables on biochemical response particularly bioactive ingredients/health-promoting substances and nutrient profiling of this and other endangered medicinal plant species for improving livelihood support of the society.

2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 184-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ekta B Joshi ◽  
BK Jain ◽  
Pankaj N Joshi ◽  
Hiren B Soni

This communication deals with the documentation of 38 medicinal plant species used for indigenous medications by local villagers such as pastoralists (Maldharis) and farmers of Tapkeshwari Hill Range (THR), Bhuj Taluka, Kachchh District, Gujarat, India. Traditional knowledge on medicinally important plant species has been recorded from tribal communities through semi-questionnaire survey using an open-ended questionnaire datasheets. The response from the people interviewed clearly indicated that most of the villagers were fully or partially dependent on the forest produce for their primary healthcare requirements as well as for curing chronic or acute disorders and ailments. Plant parts such as bark, flowers, fruits, gum, latex, leaves, roots, seeds, and spadix, were found to be used for the cure of bronchitis, cold, cough, diabetes, diarrhea, dropsy, dysentery, earache, fever, fistula, gastric troubles, hypothermia, indigestion, piles, skin diseases, snake-bites, toothache, and ulcer. The most predominantly used 10 plant species in the area are Asparagus racemosus, Balanites aegyptiaca, Capparis cartilaginea, Cassia auriculata, Commiphora wightii, Enicostema axillare, Fagonia schweienfurthii, Maytenus emerginata, Tinospora cordifolia, and Tribulus terrestris. An enumeration of these 38 medicinal plant species is presented; each species is cited with correct scientific names, vernacular names, ailments treated for, mode of preparation and dosages. International Journal of Environment, Volume-2, Issue-1, Sep-Nov 2013, Pages 184-201 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ije.v2i1.9221


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ripu M. Kunwar ◽  
Mina Lamichhane Pandey ◽  
Laxmi Mahat Kunwar ◽  
Ananta Bhandari

The impacts of climate change were severe on indigenous medicinal plant species and their dependent communities. The harvesting calendar and picking sites of these species were no longer coinciding and the changes were affecting harvesters’ and cultivators’ abilities to collect and use those species. Secondary sites: road-heads, wastelands, regenerated forests, and so forth, were being prioritized for collection and the nonindigenous medicinal plant species were being increasingly introduced into the medical repertoire as a substitution and to diversify the local medicinal stock. Acceptance and application of nonindigenous species and sites for livelihood and ethnopharmacopoeias with caution were considered as an important adaptation strategy. Findings on species and site specific accounts urged further researches on medicinal plants, ethnomedicine, and their interrelationship with impacts of climate change.


Author(s):  
Alfred Ofori Agyemang ◽  
Bernard Kofi Turkson ◽  
Michael Frimpong Baidoo ◽  
Isaac Kingsley Amponsah ◽  
Merlin Lincoln Kwao Mensah ◽  
...  

There has always been a strong human dependency on plants for health purposes and such an important relationship should be sustained. Plants remain a repository of drug leads for discovering new pharmaceutical agents for prevention, treatment and improving the quality of health for many people globally. In the effort to improve healthcare services, Ghana put up the Recommended Essential Herbal Medicine List (REHML) consisting of products that are used in the treatment of both Communicable and non-Communicable diseases. To inspire confidence among prescribers and clients of the products it has become necessary to validate the plants and their products. The aim of the study was to identify the medicinal plants' species in the herbal products in Ghana’s REHML commonly used for treatment, the conditions being treated with them and finding published research for the plants therapeutic use. Medicinal plants on the REHML with chances of getting extinct were also assessed. The REHML of Ghana and the Ghana Herbal Pharmacopoeia were reviewed for the required information. Electronic databases; PubMed and Scopus, as well as online search engines, Google Scholar and Google were used to obtain information on the identified medicinal plants and their families. A total of 167 medicinal plant species were found to be used in 180 products as compiled in the Ghana REHML and these belonged to 63 botanical families. Most of the medicinal plants are collected from the wild making sustainability and bio-conservation a challenge. Decoctions, creams and ointments are the commonest dosage forms. The REHML of Ghana caters for 13 disease areas using 180 finished herbal products. These products are made from 167 medicinal plants, 16 of which are in the group of medicinal plants classified as endangered species. There should be a conscious effort to bio-conserve these endangered medicinal plant species so that there can be continuous supply for use in the preparation of herbal products for healthcare purposes. 


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