Influence of hosts on the production of bioactive compounds in the hemiparasitic plant Helicanthes elasticus

Abstract

Helicanthes elasticus growing on six different hosts produced different gas chromatograph profiles indicating the influence of host on the metabolite production of parasite. 1,2,3-benzenetriol (pyrogallol) and methyl-3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoate (methyl gallate), which were identified in all of the accessions were considered as gas chromatograph marker compounds of the methanolic extract of the parasite. Some assisted marked compounds obtained from this hemi-parasitic plant and their presence were found to differ among the hosts. Occurrence of various other active ingredients particular to the parasite collected from different hosts were also detected. UPGMA cluster analysis based on the 13 different compounds clearly showed the influence of host on the phytochemical production. Parasitehost interaction leads to phytochemical mosaicism in the selected hemiparasitic plant and such a phenomenon is highly significant for their utilization in various fields of the pharmaceutical industries.