Abstract
Background: Thuja occidentalis is used in folk medicine to treat several diseases, like bronchial catarrh, and rheumatism. It exhibits antimicrobial properties, and many people today incorporate Thuja occidentalis leaves into herbal tea blends for their healing potential. Brewing tea involves extracting chlorophylls, carotenoids, and essential oils from the plant, which may enhance the tea's therapeutic benefits. Objective: The aim of the study was to estimate the content of chlorophyll a and b, carotenoids, and essential oils in the leaves of Thuja occidentalis grown in Ararat Valley under hydroponic and soil conditions and compare the herbal properties of this plant depending on the growth conditions. Methods: Plants of Thuja occidentalis were grown under soil and hydroponic conditions. The hydroponic substrates used red and black slags. Hydroponic plants were nourished with the nutrition solution offered by G. Davtyan. The content of chlorophyll a and b, and carotenoids were estimated spectrophotometrically in an alcohol solution of leaves. The essential oil of plant leaves was extracted by hydrodistillation. Results: In our study, the content of chlorophyll a and b and carotenoids increased in all studied plants from May to July. The highest content of them was recorded in soil plants (chlorophyll a – 7.2-8.8 μg/ml, chlorophyll b – 2.5-3.2 μg/ml and carotenoids – 1.8-2.2 μg/ml). Plants grown in red slag showed slightly higher levels of these components compared with plants grown in black slag, especially in May. The content of essential oil was higher in hydroponic plants (0.5-0.52%), compared with the soil plants (0.3%). Conclusion: Our study showed that the content of chlorophyll a and b and carotenoids in leaves of Thuja occidentalis changes depending on the studied month and soil plants are inferior to the hydroponic plants in essential oil content. All this supports the idea that the healing abilities and properties of Thuja occidentalis leave depend on the harvesting time and growth condition. Keywords: chlorophyll a and b, carotenoids, essential oil, Ararat Valley, hydroponics
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Schedule a callMore From: Bioactive Compounds in Health and Disease - Online ISSN: 2574-0334; Print ISSN: 2769-2426
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