Comparative Study of Phytochemical Compounds of Medicinal and Aromatic Herbs Under Different Growing Medium

Abstract

Phytochemicals are those compounds which found naturally in plants. The compounds play an important role in plant metabolic activity and in human health by protecting from many diseases. These compounds provide plant protection from many diseases. Globally, hydroponics technology has been accepted as sustainable technology to tackle all issues being reported in conventional system. Hydroponics not only offers safe food but also ensures vertical utilization of space with higher water use efficiency. Soil is the natural growing media which provide potential support to plant growth and development. Soilless is the growing media without using soil. This experiment was conducted during 2022-23 at DIBER, DRDO, Haldwani, Nainital (Uttarakhand). The objective of this study was to evaluate the Phytochemical properties of different medicinal and aromatic herbs under different growing conditions. Among different growing condition Jambu crop exhibited the tannin and flavonoid content higher (235.42 mg TAE /100g., 10.44 mg QE /g. respectively) under hydroponic growing condition as comparison to other growing condition. Whereas the total phenol compound found higher (623.44 mg GAE /100g.) under soil growing condition. In Mint aromatic plant the total phenol and flavonoid attributes found higher (632.75 mg GAE /100g., 25.34 mg QE /g. respectively) under soilless growing condition whereas the tannin compound determined higher (198.49 mg TAE /100g.) under hydroponics growing condition. The quality attributes in sweet basil found that's the tannin and flavonoid recorded higher (301.10 mg TAE/100g., 19.00 mg QE/g., respectively) under soilless growing media as compared to other growing conditions. Whereas the total phenol content found higher (569.13 mg GAE/100g) under soil growing media. The ascorbic acid found in Jambu herb (34.81 mg/100g) ascorbic acid under soil growing condition, whereas it is found in mint and sweet basil (11.0g mg/100g, 11.09 mg/100 g, respectively) higher under hydroponics growing condition as compared to other growing condition.