Increasing medicinal and phytochemical compounds of coneflower (Echinacea purpurea L.) as affected by NO3−/NH4+ ratio and perlite particle size in hydroponics

Abstract

Medicinal plants are considered as one of the most important sources of chemical compounds, so preparing a suitable culture media for medicinal plant growth is a critical factor. The present study is aimed to improve the caffeic acid derivatives and alkylamides percentages of Echinacea purpurea root extract in hydroponic culture media with different perlite particle size and NO3−/NH4+ ratios. Perlite particle size in the growing media was varied as very coarse perlite (more than 2 mm), coarse perlite (1.5–2 mm), medium perlite (1–1.5 mm), fine perlite (0.5–1 mm), and very fine perlite (less than 0.5 mm) in different ratios to peat moss (including pure perlite, 50:50 v/v, 30:70 v/v, and pure peat moss). Two NO3−/NH4+ ratios (90:10 and 70:30) were tested in each growing media. All phytochemical analyses were performed according to standard methods using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). It was found that the E. purpurea grown in the medium containing very fine-grade perlite with 50:50 v/v perlite to peat moss ratio had the maximum caffeic acid derivatives, including chicoric acid (17 mg g−1 DW), caftaric acid (6.3 mg g−1 DW), chlorogenic acid (0.93 mg g−1 DW), cynarin (0.84 mg g−1 DW), and echinacoside (0.73 mg g−1 DW), as well as, alkylamides (54.21%). The percentages of these phytochemical compounds increased by decreasing perlite particle size and increasing of NO3−/NH4+ ratio. The major alkylamide in the E. purpurea root extract was dodeca-2E, 4E, 8Z-10 (E/Z)-tetraenoic acid isobutylamide in all treatments, ranging from 31.12 to 54.21% of total dry weight. It can be concluded that optimizing hydroponic culture media and nutrient solution has significant effects on E. purpurea chemical compounds.

Immuno-antioxidative reno-modulatory effectiveness of Echinacea purpurea extract against bifenthrin-induced renal poisoning

“…It is available in teas, creams, lotions, tablets, capsules, and other forms 12 . E. purpurea has attracted international attention in the past few years 13 . The plant extracts provide antifungal, antiviral, antibacterial, and antioxidative activities; moreover, they are utilized for treating the common cold, in addition to urinary illnesses 14 .…”

EFFECT OF CuO NANOPARTICLES ON SEED GERMINATION AND SEEDLING GROWTH IN ECHINACEA PURPUREA IN VITRO.

“…Additionally, there were noticeable disparities in the cultivated population's plant shape, growth, and development processes, which hindered the advancement of field management, quality stability, and yield improvement (2). The study of matter with dimensions on the order of 9-10 is known as nanotechnology, and it is a rapidly expanding field that has profound effects on all areas of biological sciences (1,12,15,17,24). although of the rapid development of nanotechnology, the health impacts due to exposure at different levels of nanoparticles was vary on both levels' environment and human (5).…”

Application of Hydroponic Technology to the Yield and Quality of Purwoceng "Viagra From Asia"

“…Hydroponic technology is a cultivation technology that gets the best results, is controlled, and can be harvested according to plan (Giurgiu et al, 2014). Hydroponic technology has also been used for medicinal plants (Ahmadi et al, 2021;Zarinkamar et al, 2021), including Purwoceng (Sumarni et al, 2017).…”