Kaundal, M.,
Bhatt, V. and
Kumar, R.
2018
Elevated CO2 and
temperature effect
on essential oil content
and composition of
Valeriana jatamansi Jones.
with organic manure
application in a western
Himalayan region.
Journal of Essential Oil
Bearing Plants 21: 1041-1050.
NOTE:
Indian valerian
(Valeriana jatamansi)
is an important
medicinal and
aromatic herb
that grows in steep,
rocky and moist areas
with sandy loam soil
from Afghanistan
to southwest China,
and into India, Nepal,
Bhutan and Burma.
Essential oil is extracted
from its rhizomes and roots,
which oils are in high demand
in "flavor, pharmaceutical
and perfumery industries
[where] about 30 products
[using the oil] are
commercially available."
The roots of the plant are
"used for treating ulcers,
convulsions, jaundice,
cardiac debility, dry cough,
asthma, seminal weakness,
skin diseases, leprosy,
general debility and
for sleep enhancement."
Due to the high demand
of Indian valerian's
essential oil, this plant
"is on the verge
of becoming extinct"
because of
"over-exploitation
of underground parts
for its medicinal value."
Rising levels
of atmospheric CO2
typically promote plant
photosynthesis and the
production of secondary
compounds.
SUMMARY:
Elevated CO2
stimulated the
essential
oil content of
Indian valerian
by +17.7%,
indicating that
"elevated CO2
in the future
could have [a]
positive effect."
DETAILS:
The experiment
was conducted in
Palampur, India,
at the research farm
of the CSIR-Institute
of Himalayan
Bioresource
Technology
over the period
November 2013
to March 2015.
Plant seedlings
(cv. Himbala)
were sown in pots
and subjected to
ambient CO2
(390 ppm)
or elevated CO2
(550 ppm)
in a free-air
CO2-enrichment
(FACE)
environment.
At the end
of the
experiment,
root samples
were extracted
to measure
the impact
of elevated CO2
on the
essential oil
content.
Figure 1.
Effect of elevated CO2
on the essential oil content
of V. jatamansi.
