Optimizing Nutrient Solution Regime to Enhance Yield, Biochemical Composition, and Antioxidant Capacity in Andrographis paniculata

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Immunoregulation Research Center, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran

2 Medicinal Plants Research Center, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran

3 Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran

4 Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

The quality and quantity of the nutrient solution and its application duration are critical factors influencing essential growth processes such as photosynthesis and enzyme activity in plants. This research sought to investigate the impact of nutrient supplementation on the yield, biochemical composition, and antioxidant systems of the medicinal plant Andrographis paniculata (AP). To achieve this, an experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) by four nutrient solution regimes (every day, every three days, every five days, and every week) and five repetitions. Seedlings at the 8-leaf stage were placed in pots filled with a 50:50 mixtures of sand and vermiculite, and maintained under greenhouse conditions for 30 days. The morphological analysis revealed that the highest height of the plant (55.20 cm) and leaf dry weight (6.12 g) were recorded after three days of nutrient solution application. Additionally, the comparison of root lengths indicated that the shortest and longest roots were observed after one and three days of nutrient solution application, respectively. The biochemical analysis demonstrated that the highest levels of chlorophyll, FRAP, total phenols, and flavonoids were achieved after three days of nutrient solution application. Consequently, the findings suggest that administering the nutrient solution every three days in a nutrient-deficient sandy medium is an effective strategy for enhancing the yield and physiological attributes of the A. paniculata plant.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Journal of Medicinal plants and By-products
Volume 14, Issue 5
September and October 2025
Pages 498-503

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