Growth of plants and production of phytoconstituents are influenced by abiotic stresses. Understanding these abiotic factors and their subsequent modification during cultivation/growth of medicinal plants may help in increasing the production of valuable secondary metabolites. The present study examined the effect of various abiotic factors and seasons on the growth of Bacopa monnieri, production of the marker compound bacoside A, and antioxidant and acetylcholinestrase inhibitory activities of the plant extract. The plant was cultivated in two different soils, viz A (clay loam soil) and B (sandy loam soil). Different abiotic stresses, i.e., water stress, fertilization, light, and salinity, were applied in two seasons (season 1: July to November and season 2: February to May). Bacoside A content in methanol extracts of the dried aerial parts of plants grown under different stresses was determined using a validated thin layer chromatography (TLC) densitometric method. In vitro 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and Ellmans method were employed to evaluate the antioxidant and acetylcholinestrase inhibitory activities of different extracts, respectively. Best plant growth was observed in soil A in season 1. Plants grown in season 2 had a significantly higher bacoside A content, better antioxidant, and acetylcholinestrase inhibitory activities than the plants grown in season 1. Among various stresses applied in season 2, plants grown in soil B, especially water stress-effected plants, had the highest bacoside A content, antioxidant, and acetylcholinestrase inhibitory activities. The plant should be cultivated from February to Ma
Key words: abiotic stresses; acetylcholinesterase inhibition; antioxidant activity; Bacopa monnieri; bacoside A
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