Ambient Light Quality Induced Morphological, Anatomical and Biochemical Changes in the Tropical Medicinal Plant, Senna (Cassia angustifolia Vahl.)

摘要

Senna (Cassia angustifolia Vahl) is a well-known tropical plant extensively used in the ayur vedic and allopathic systems of medicine for the treatment of constipation. This study was conducted to assess the physiological and biochemical changes of senna associated with light stress. Changes in the leaflet anatomy, pigments and proteins were studied comparatively in sun and shade leaves. Sun plants (ambient) have smaller leaflets, higher dry and fresh weight and higher chlorophyll alb ratio, and arethicker than those of shade (LL) plants. SDS-PAGE analysis of chloroplasts shows increased level of D1 protein in ambient light grown plants as compared to LL plants. Sennosides separated on thin layer chromatography (TLC) revealed four bands, and the level of all these had decreased under LL conditions.