Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Faculty of Sciences-Biology Department
Abstract
Ultraviolet spectrum of sunlight has high energy. It was divided into three bands A, B, and C, due to the wavelength. Plants protected themselves from this kind of radiation, by two mechanisms, enzymatic and non-enzymatic. These mechanisms can be used for medicinal plants. Many of the secondary metabolites including flavonoids, anthocyanin and alkaloids are medicinally important and they as well have a vital role in scavenging of the free radical created by UV radiation. Therefore, UV radiation seems to be able to increase these compounds in plants. In this research the effect of UV-B and UV-C on the amounts of these compounds (flavonoids, anthocyanin and alkaloids ) in hyoscyamus niger and hyoscyamus muticus was studied. The seeds were collected from their habitat, sown in pots in growth cabinet at 21±1ºC and light period of 16/8 light /dark. After 3 weeks, these plants were treated with UV-B and UV-C for 30 minutes every day, during 2 weeks. After 2 weeks, plant materials were harvested and freezed using liquid nitrogen. The samples were used for determination these parameters. Flavonoids were measured by HPLC method. The amount of flavonoids increased in comparison to the control. Anthocyanins concentration were measured using spectrophotometer. The extinction coefficient was used to calculate the concentration. This compound was shown to increase 35% and 50% in UV-B and UV-C, respectively in comparison to the control. The calculation of reducing sugar showed that these sugars decreased in both species when treated either with UV-B or UV-C.
Keywords
)