ISSN 2169-303X
International Journal of Medicinal Plants Research ISSN: ISSN: 2169-303X Vol. 2 (1), pp. 152-155, February, 2013. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Seed potentiation of a horse-gram cultivar by herbal manipulation
Chandan Kumar Pati1* and Aloke Bhattacharjee2
1Department of Botany, Saldiha College, Saldiha-722 173, Bankura, West Bengal, India.
2Plant Physiology and Biochemistry Section, UGC Centre for Advanced Study, Department of Botany, Burdwan University, Burdwan-713 104, West Bengal, India.
*Corresponding author. E-mail: cpbotany@yahoo.co.in.
Accepted 26 November, 2012
Abstract
An investigation was carried out on seed potentiation of an ethnomedicinal pulse crop cultivar horse-gram by using some selected medicinal plant extracts. Pretreatment of horse-gram seeds with aqueous solution of leaf extracts of Aegle marmelos and Vitex negundo slowed down the rapid loss of germination. The plant extracts also significantly arrested profuse leakage of amino acids from seeds. Concomitantly, the reduction of protein, insoluble carbohydrate, DNA and RNA levels as well as activity of catalase enzyme of seed kernels during forced ageing period was ameliorated to a significant extent in the plant extract-pretreated seeds. Conversely, ageing-induced stimulation of the activity of amylase enzyme was alleviated by the seed pretreating agents. The promising effects of the experimental plant extracts on storage potentiation of the seeds are apparent in this investigation.
Key words: Seed potentiation, Horse-gram, Aegle marmelos, Vitex negundo.