Abstract

EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON WITHANOLIDE CONTENTS OF WITHANIA SOMNIFERA PLANTS GROWN BY SEEDS STORED AT DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES

Biplab Biswakalyan, Sankar Sahoo and Sunita Bhatnagar*

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Abstract

Withania somnifera is a cultivated crop, the main problem related to cultivation is the seed viability, fresh seeds are viable but on storage they loss their viability quickly. In this study effect of storage temperature was observed on germination of plants and later its effect on alkaloid content and phytochemical analysis of the plants raised by seeds stored at different temperatures was also compared. It was observed that seeds stored at room temperature lost their viability in 3 months whereas seeds stored at 4, -20 and -80degree Celsius retained their viability for almost 18 months. There was mild variation in the presence of any phytochemical or withanolides in the different set of plants.

Keywords: Withania somnifera, withanolides, temperature, seed viability, Phytochemicals.