Pantnagar Journal of Research

Abstract

Altitude plays an important role in shaping plant’s physiological and biochemical behavior. This ultimately helps the plant in acclimatization and adaptation in varying habitats spread across different altitudinal gradients. The current work focuses to study the biochemical and physiological profile of D. pedicellatus across varying elevations (700, 1186, 1370 and 1640 m). Total polyphenolic content including phenols, flavonoids and tannins were quantitatively estimated using standard protocols. Proteins, photosynthetic pigments and macronutrients were evaluated using standard available protocols with mild modifications. Data was statistically analyzed and means were compared for significance at p< 0.05. Results revealed statistically significant variation in all the studied parameters except for phosphorous content. Total phenol (23.26 %), tannin (63.75 %) and protein (175.7 %) content increased effectively whereas total flavonoids decreased (84.84 %) with rise in elevation. Photosynthetic pigments like chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids also followed the decreasing trend by 36.46 %, 39.98 % and 36.24 % respectively, with increasing altitude. Macronutrients like nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus also declined by 55.43 %, 57.67 % and 20.71 % respectively. The decline in photosynthetic pigments and macronutrient content highlights the decrease in photosynthetic and mineral uptake capacity of D. pedicellatus at higher altitudes. The study suggests that A4 populations (growing at 1640 m) are richer in polyphenolic compounds and hence more suitable for medicinal purposes. Hence, for bringing the plant in cultivation, A4 populations may be selected as elite planting material in order to get optimum yield of medicinally important compounds.