Wednesday, November 7, 2007
249-12

Predictive Modeling Secondary Metabolism in Medicinal Plants Using Hydroponic Nutrition Systems.

Ganisher Abbasov, Dept. of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Massachusetts, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003

Increasing plant productivity in hydroponic system inexpensively is one of the major concerns of Plant science. Impact to Secondary Metabolism is a major concern in Essential oil and Medicinal compound production as well. Plant Productivity and its Secondary Metabolites can be increased by changing Plant Nutrition. Developing Hydroponic Nutrition systems affects Secondary Metabolites. Predictive model of Secondary Metabolism allows production of specific medicinal compounds, such as anticancer compounds. The plant materials used was Basil. In addition, Nutrient Solutions, HS (Hogland Solution) and AS (Experimental Solution) were compared. A new Hydroponic system was invented for laboratory experiments and consisted of two container s which allowed separate parts of the plant root to be in two solutions simultaneously. A new Hydroponic system was also invented for production purposes and consisted of troughs in which two different solutions flowed. Both productivity and plant height (growth) were recorded. Changing plant nutrition by letting plant root in high and low osmotic potential simultaneously increased productivity and it is expected that in future experiments this will also impact its secondary metabolism. Plant's roots which were separated into 100% AS and HS survived during 21-25 days, and those not separated survived only 3- 5 days. Better results were achieved with 20% Experimental Solution. However, separated plants survived more than 30 days than non- separated plants. Plant development was better where its root was separated and it matched with greenhouse experiment results. Modified hydroponics system based on these laboratory experiments showed that modified hydroponic system with separated root in two different solutions increased Basil productivity compared to common hydroponic system-230 and 110g/fresh weight/plot respectively. Periodic osmotic potential and separate nutrition with new nutrient solution did Increase Plant productivity and will Impact Secondary Metabolism as well. It will allow one to construct a “Predictive table of Secondary Metabolites”.