Medicinal & Aromatic Plants
Open Access
ISSN: 2167-0412
+44 1300 500008
ISSN: 2167-0412
+44 1300 500008
Mittal N
Tanzania
Research Article
High Levels of Diversity in the Phytochemistry, Ploidy and Genetics of the
Medicinal Plant Acorus calamus L.
Author(s): Mittal N, Varshney VK, Song BH and Ginwal HSMittal N, Varshney VK, Song BH and Ginwal HS
Acorus calamus L. is an emergent aquatic macrophyte that is used in several medicines and food supplements. A. calamus ecotypes with low concentrations of β-asarone can be used for medicinal purposes. We investigated 50 populations of this species, representing the entire natural distribution range in Indian Himalayan Region (IHR), to understand natural variations in β-asarone concentration, ploidy level and genetic divergence. Our results showed that: 1) all four cytotypes (diploid, triploid, tetraploid and hexaploid) of A. calamus exist in natural populations in the IHR; 2) the β-asarone concentration is highly correlated with the ploidy level (diploid and hexaploid populations exhibit low β-asarone concentrations, whereas triploids and tetraploids show high β-asarone concentrations); 3) there is a significant correlation between the β-asarone concentra.. View More»
DOI:
10.4172/2167-0412.S1-002