Altitudinal Variation in Alkaloid Composition of Hyoscyamus niger: A study with reference to Kashmir region of Himalayas

Abstract

The present study has been undertaken to understand the impact of altitude on the synthesis of alkaloids in Hyoscyamus niger found in Kashmir valley of J&K state in India. Given its wide distributional range, the study aimed to quantify the alkaloids (hyoscyamine and scopolamine) in Hyoscyamus niger grown at various altitudes in Kashmir valley. The sampling of populations at varying altitudes allowed assessing the intraspecieac variation and ecological trends of accumulation of alkaloids in the plant. Furthermore the resource allocation in the parts of the plant has also been shown. The four different sites were Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Gurez and Qazigund in Kashmir valley. The study was able to identify the elite genotype and the best suited habitat (altitude) for commercial cultivation of the species with higher quantity of alkaloids.