Unravelling the impact of essential mineral nutrients on active constituents of selected medicinal and aromatic plants

Abstract

Humans for centuries have used plants to relieve discomfort and treat various health ailments. Medicinal herbs are used throughout developed and developing countries as home remedies, over-the-counter drug products and raw materials for the pharmaceutical industry, and represent a considerable proportion of the universal drug market. The medicinal value of plant depends on the nature of plant constituents, known as active principal or active constituent, present in it. Active constituents are those chemical substances, which are exclusively responsible for remedial activity of plant and serve as lead compounds in drug discovery and design. Traditional systems of medicine, modern medicines, folk medicines, food supplements, nutraceuticals, pharmaceutical intermediates and synthetic drugs are invariably dependent on the proportionate presence of active constituents found in plants. Nutrition plays an important role in the growth and development of all crop plants. The contribution of macro- and micronutrients in building indispensable organic compounds and in almost all plant life processes shows the noteworthy and diversified role of these minerals in the modification of plant metabolism. Severity or insufficiency of these minerals causes varied effects in plant metabolism. The role and contributions of various mineral elements can be revealed through their regulatory role played in metabolism of medicinal and aromatic plants. Secondary plant metabolism is a function of concentrations of minerals in the soil. Important mineral elements present in soil are transferred to plant areas where their need arises, thereafter governing various physiological activities. Therefore, biosynthesis and accumulation of these bioactive molecules in a plant system are broadly dependent on the availability and accessibility of mineral elements in the soil. This review chapter is an attempt to understand how essential mineral nutrients affect active constituents of selected medicinal and aromatic plants viz. fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), mentha (Mentha arvensis, Mentha piperita, Mentha citrata), lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexosus), Artemisia (Artemisia annua), turmeric (Curcuma longa), ginger (Zingiber officinale), periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus), Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis).