Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer
Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. 3 (2026)

Impact of light-induced modulation on growth, physiological traits and bioactive compound production in Valeriana jatamansi Jones ex Roxb.

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.12789
Submitted
19 November 2025
Published
01-08-2026 — Updated on 10-08-2026
Versions

Abstract

Valeriana jatamansi Jones ex Roxb. is a medicinally important species widely used for its sedative and tranquillising properties, which are primarily attributed to iridoid ester compounds known as valepotriates. Escalating demand has resulted in excessive harvesting of wild populations, emphasising the need to optimise cultivation practices for sustainable production. The present study evaluated the effects of varying light intensities on plant growth, photosynthetic performance, pigment content, antioxidant activity and valepotriate accumulation in V. jatamansi under field conditions. Seed-raised plants were cultivated under full sunlight and four shade levels (35 %, 50 %, 65 % and 80 % shade). Moderate shade conditions (50–65 %) significantly enhanced vegetative growth and underground biomass accumulation, with the maximum rootstock biomass recorded under 65 % shade. High-performance liquid chromatography revealed that the total valepotriates content in the roots (4.93 %) and rootstock (4.12 %) was highest under 50 % shade, with statistically comparable values under 65 % shade, resulting in a higher valepotriates yield per plant at these light intensities. In contrast, plants grown under 80 % shade exhibited the highest photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and chlorophyll content, indicating enhanced photosynthetic efficiency under low irradiance; however, this did not translate into increased secondary metabolite accumulation. Plants exposed to full sunlight showed elevated phenolic and flavonoid contents and greater antioxidant activity, reflecting a stress-induced metabolic response. Overall, the findings demonstrate a distinct trade-off between photosynthetic performance, growth and secondary metabolite biosynthesis and identify 50–65 % shade as the optimal light regime for maximising both the yield and medicinal quality of V. jatamansi.

References

  1. 1. Jugran AK, Bhatt ID, Rawal RS. Cultivation and utilisation of Valeriana jatamansi Jones for conservation planning and management. In: 2021. p. 113–78. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74779-4_5
  2. 2. Zhao J, Hu S, Fan L, Zeng Y, Yang Y, Zhao Y, et al. Does higher demand for medicinal plants lead to more harvest? Evidence from the dual trade of Nardostachys jatamansi and Fritillaria cirrhosa and Tibetan people’s harvesting behavior. Front Ecol Evol. 2023;11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2023.1145928
  3. 3. Wu W, Wu H, Liang R, Huang S, Meng L, Zhang M, et al. Light regulates the synthesis and accumulation of plant secondary metabolites. Front Plant Sci. 2025;16:1644472. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2025.1644472
  4. 4. Sanyal R, Ranjan A. Optimizing photosynthesis by targeting light signaling transcriptional networks. J Exp Bot. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/eraf384
  5. 5. Lauria G, Ceccanti C, Lo Piccolo E, El Horri H, Guidi L, Lawson T, et al. Metabolight: how light spectra shape plant growth, development and metabolism. Physiol Plant. 2024;176. https://doi.org/10.1111/ppl.14587
  6. 6. Didaran F, Kordrostami M, Ghasemi-Soloklui AA, Pashkovskiy P, Kreslavski V, Kuznetsov V, et al. The mechanisms of photoinhibition and repair in plants under high light conditions and interplay with abiotic stressors. J Photochem Photobiol B. 2024;259:113004. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2024.113004
  7. 7. Chen S, Zou Y, Qi Q, Zhao C, Liu S, Qiao J, et al. Moderate shading improves growth, photosynthesis and physiological traits in Spuriopinella brachycarpa (Kom.) Kitag. Plants. 2025;14:3824. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14243824
  8. 8. Anjali, Kumar S, Korra T, Thakur R, Arutselvan R, Kashyap AS, et al. Role of plant secondary metabolites in defence and transcriptional regulation in response to biotic stress. Plant Stress. 2023;8:100154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stress.2023.100154
  9. 9. Seyedi FS, Nafchi MG, Reezi S. Effects of light spectra on morphological characteristics, primary and specialized metabolites of Thymus vulgaris L. Heliyon. 2024;10:e23032. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23032
  10. 10. Asgher M, Verma S, Khan NA, Vyas D, Kumari P, Rashid S, et al. Physiological, biochemical and reproductive studies on Valeriana wallichii, a critically endangered medicinal plant of the Himalayan region grown under in-situ and ex-situ conditions. Plants. 2020;9:131. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9020131
  11. 11. Pandey V, Bhatt ID, Nandi SK. Seasonal trends in morpho-physiological attributes and bioactive content of Valeriana jatamansi Jones under full sunlight and shade conditions. Physiol Mol Biol Plants. 2021;27:327–40. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-021-00944-0
  12. 12. Pandey S, Kushwaha R. Leaf anatomy and photosynthetic acclimation in Valeriana jatamansi L. grown under high and low irradiance. Photosynthetica. 2005;43:85–90. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-005-5090-8
  13. 13. Zhang S, Zhang L, Zou H, Qiu L, Zheng Y, Yang D, et al. Effects of light on secondary metabolite biosynthesis in medicinal plants. Front Plant Sci. 2021;12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2021.781236
  14. 14. Coutinho MAN, Alari F de O, Ferreira MMC, Amaral LR do. Influence of soil sample preparation on the quantification of NPK content via spectroscopy. Geoderma. 2019;338:401–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2018.12.021
  15. 15. Parmar YS, Sharma YP, Bhardwaj C, Thakur P. Phyto-chemical variation in gynodioecious Valeriana jatamansi Jones. J Pharmacogn Phytochem. 2019;8.
  16. 16. Cheeseman JM, Clough BF, Carter DR, Lovelock CE, Eong OJ, Sim RG. The analysis of photosynthetic performance in leaves under field conditions: a case study using Bruguiera mangroves. Photosynth Res. 1991;29:11–22. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00035202
  17. 17. Bhatt ID, Dauthal P, Rawat S, Gaira KS, Jugran A, Rawal RS, et al. Characterization of essential oil composition, phenolic content and antioxidant properties in wild and planted individuals of Valeriana jatamansi Jones. Sci Hortic. 2012;136:61–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2011.12.032
  18. 18. Pandey S, Kushwaha R. Leaf anatomy and photosynthetic acclimation in Valeriana jatamansi L. grown under high and low irradiance. Photosynthetica. 2005;43:85–90. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-005-5090-8
  19. 19. Vats SK, Pandey S, Nagar PK. Photosynthetic response to irradiance in Valeriana jatamansi Jones, a threatened understorey medicinal herb of Western Himalaya. Photosynthetica. 2002;40:625–8. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024372623650
  20. 20. Semchenko M, Lepik M, Götzenberger L, Zobel K. Positive effect of shade on plant growth: amelioration of stress or active regulation of growth rate? J Ecol. 2012;100:459–66. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2745.2011.01936.x
  21. 21. Falster DS, Westoby M. Plant height and evolutionary games. Trends Ecol Evol. 2003;18:337–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-5347(03)00061-2
  22. 22. Zhang LX, Guo QS, Chang QS, Zhu ZB, Liu L, Chen YH. Chloroplast ultrastructure, photosynthesis and accumulation of secondary metabolites in Glechoma longituba in response to irradiance. Photosynthetica. 2015;53:144–53. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-015-0092-7
  23. 23. Pandey V, Bhatt ID, Nandi SK. Seasonal trends in morpho-physiological attributes and bioactive content of Valeriana jatamansi Jones under full sunlight and shade conditions. Physiol Mol Biol Plants. 2021;27:327–40. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-021-00944-0
  24. 24. Hamdani JS, K, Mubarok S. Effect of shading net and interval of watering increase plant growth and yield of potatoes ‘Atlantic’. J Appl Sci. 2017;18:19–24. https://doi.org/10.3923/jas.2018.19.24
  25. 25. Mohd Yusof FF, Yaacob JS, Osman N, Ibrahim MH, Wan-Mohtar WAAQI, Berahim Z, et al. Shading effects on leaf gas exchange, leaf pigments and secondary metabolites of Polygonum minus Huds., an aromatic medicinal herb. Plants. 2021;10:608. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10030608
  26. 26. Ibrahim MH, Jaafar HZE, Karimi E, Ghasemzadeh A. Allocation of secondary metabolites, photosynthetic capacity and antioxidant activity of Labisia pumila Benth. in response to light intensity. Sci World J. 2014;2014:1–13. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/360290
  27. 27. Qin Y, Liu X, Li C, Chu Q, Cheng S, Su L, et al. Effect of light intensity on celery growth and flavonoid synthesis. Front Plant Sci. 2024;14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2023.1326218
  28. 28. Estell RE, Fredrickson EL, James DK. Effect of light intensity and wavelength on concentration of plant secondary metabolites in the leaves of Flourensia cernua. Biochem Syst Ecol. 2016;65:108–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bse.2016.02.019
  29. 29. Pan J, Guo B. Effects of light intensity on the growth, photosynthetic characteristics and flavonoid content of Epimedium pseudowushanense B.L. Guo. Molecules. 2016;21:1475. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules21111475
  30. 30. Wang C, Guo Q, Zhu Z, Cheng B. Physiological characteristics, dry matter and active component accumulation patterns of Changium smyrnioides in response to a light intensity gradient. Pharm Biol. 2017;55:581–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/13880209.2016.1263345
  31. 31. İncesu M, Yeşiloğlu T, Çimen B, Yılmaz B. Effects of nursery shading on plant growth, chlorophyll content and PSII in ‘Lane Late’ navel orange seedlings. Acta Hortic. 2016;1130:301–6. https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2016.1130.44
  32. 32. Zervoudakis G, Salahas G, Kaspiris G, Konstantopoulou E. Influence of light intensity on growth and physiological characteristics of common sage (Salvia officinalis L.). Braz Arch Biol Technol. 2012;55:89–95. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1516-89132012000100011
  33. 33. Cai Z, Xie T, Xu J. Source–sink manipulations differentially affect carbon and nitrogen dynamics, fruit metabolites and yield of Sacha inchi plants. BMC Plant Biol. 2021;21:160. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-021-02931-9
  34. 34. Wegener F, Beyschlag W, Werner C. High intraspecific ability to adjust both carbon uptake and allocation under light and nutrient reduction in Halimium halimifolium L. Front Plant Sci. 2015;6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2015.00609
  35. 35. Han J, Liu Y, Zhang W, Duan G, Chen J, Zhu W, et al. The age-dependent response of carbon coordination in the organs of Pinus yunnanensis seedlings under shade stress. Plants. 2025;14:2679. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14172679
  36. 36. Tang W, Guo H, Baskin CC, Xiong W, Yang C, Li Z, et al. Effect of light intensity on morphology, photosynthesis and carbon metabolism of Medicago sativa seedlings. Plants. 2022;11:1688. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11131688
  37. 37. Zhou R, Su WH, Zhang GF, Zhang YN, Guo XR. Relationship between flavonoids and photoprotection in shade-developed Erigeron breviscapus transferred to sunlight. Photosynthetica. 2016;54:201–9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11099-016-0074-4

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.