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Ex situ conservation of Aconitum heterophyllum Wall.—an endangered medicinal plant of the Himalaya through mass propagation and its effect on growth and alkaloid content

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 February 2007

Subedar Pandey ,
Rekha Kushwaha ,
Om Prakash ,
Amita Bhattacharya  and
P.S. Ahuja
Subedar Pandey
Affiliation:
Division of Biotechnology, Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur-176061, H. P., India
Rekha Kushwaha
Affiliation:
Division of Biotechnology, Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur-176061, H. P., India
Om Prakash
Affiliation:
Division of Biotechnology, Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur-176061, H. P., India
Amita Bhattacharya*
Affiliation:
Division of Biotechnology, Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur-176061, H. P., India
P.S. Ahuja
Affiliation:
Division of Biotechnology, Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur-176061, H. P., India
*
Corresponding author: E-mail: amitabhatta@yahoo.co.uk
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Abstract

The endangered alpine plant Aconitum heterophyllum was conserved under ex situ conditions (greenhouse and open) of Palampur by overcoming seed dormancy and plant establishment through hot water treatment (40–60 °C for 30–120 s) of seeds. High seed germination (88 and 76%) was obtained when seeds were treated with hot water at 45 and 50 °C for 90 s. Correlation studies also revealed that treatment enhanced vegetative growth and reproductive yield of the plants. The total alkaloid content of the roots and rhizomes of the plants growing under ex situ conditions was lower than the ones collected from the natural habitat in the 1-year-old plants. However, in the 2-year-old plants, it was almost at par with the ones collected from nature. The life cycle of the plants growing under ex situ conditions also did not vary largely from the plants growing under in situ conditions. Therefore, the present study indicates the successful adaptation of A. heterophyllum plants in conditions other than their natural habitat and hence its potential for sustainable commercialization.

Keywords

aconitinAconitum heterophyllumex situ conservationhot water treatment of seedsseed germinationseedling growth
Type
Research Article
Information
Plant Genetic Resources , Volume 3 , Issue 2 , August 2005 , pp. 127 - 135
Copyright
Copyright © NIAB 2005

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