Seasonal and locational influences on the phytochemistry, anatomy and anticancer potential of calotropis gigantea (L.) R.Br

Abstract

All organisms live in some sort of environment and the relationship between them is very complicated. Man as an integral part of the environment is deeply associated with plants for all his needs including food, clothing, fuel, drugs, etc. Calotropis (Asclepidaceae) is a plant with many curative principles and other economic values with the following features: a perennial shrub, distributed up to 900m elevation in the tropical and subtropical areas, growing in all types of soils and environmental conditions, requiring no cultivation practices. The quality and quantity of the active principle which are important for many ailments are subjected to many factors. Among them seasons and locations are prime factors. Hence the seasonal and locational influences on the phytochemistry, anatomy and anticancer potential of Calotropis are assessed in this study. The climatological elements are significantly varying from season to season and location to location. The highest temperature and the lowest rainfall occur in the summer and the maximum total rainfall and the highest mean temperature occur in the southwest monsoon season. The values of ash, organic carbon, phosphorous, potassium, sulphur, carbohydrate, protein and lipids in the Southwest monsoon and nitrogen, calcium, zinc, copper, molybdenum and selenium in summer are significantly high. There are 65 different compounds identified in the seasonal and locational variations which includes; terpenes, hydrocarbons, sterols, fatty acids, phenolics, heterocyclic compounds and hydroxylamines exhibiting high qualitative seasonal variations. Maximum numbers of compounds (50) are identified in summer.The morphological features such as the leaf area, numbers of leaf, flower, the height of the plant and the canopy cover of the plant are reduced in summer. Similarly the epidermal layers, lamina, vascular bundles and xylem of the leaf; and the periderm of the root and shoot are significantly reduced in summer season.