Role of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria for commercially grown medicinal plants

Abstract

Medicinal plant constitutes a segment of the flora which provides raw materials for the use of industries producing pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, fragrance and biochemicals. India exports different medicinal plants to foreign countries. PGPR facilitates plant growth by synthesising or altering the concentration of phytohormones, nitrogen fixation, etc., and hence the commercially grown medicinal plants such as Catharanthus roseus, Coleus forskohlii and Withania somnifera taken for the study. The occurrence of PGPR, root exudates and alkaloid content improved by the application of PGPR in the above crops is reviewed and discussed.