Aromatic Grass Research Articles

Vetiver [Chrysopogon zizanioides (L.) Roberty]: An Aromatic Root Crop for Soil and Water Conservation

Khus grass or vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides (L.) Roberty) is a hardy perennial aromatic grass with long enormous tufted fibrous root system. Commercially, dry roots are used for extraction of essential oil that acts as a fixative in perfumery industry worldwide. Besides, vetiver roots are used in medicinal and pharmaceutical industries to treat rheumatism, arthritis, gouty joints, paralysis and indigestion. Roots and root oil have strong anti-oxidant, stimulant, carminative and cooling properties and used in Ayurvedic medicines. Traditionally, vetiver plants are being used to cultivate across hill slopes, waterways and wastelands to reduce runoff and soil conservation. During 1990’s World bank was promoting use of vetiver grass as contour vegetative barrier in upland farming systems of Asian and African countries. Further, recent studies report the use of vetiver in phytoremediation, reclamation of mined lands and soil and water detoxification in addition to carbon sequestration. Due to introduction of modern cultivation practices, traditional soil conservation practices are being vanished gradually over a period of time. In this regard, an attempt has been made to review the scientific evidence for use of vetiver grass as a soil and water conservation measure along with phytoremediation.

Assessment of Production and Soil Conservation Potential of Aromatic Grasses Grown Under Shifting Cultivated Degraded Hill Slopes of Eastern Ghats, India

Assessment of Production and Soil Conservation Potential of Aromatic Grasses Grown Under Shifting Cultivated Degraded Hill Slopes of Eastern Ghats, India

Comparative evaluation of biodegradation of chlorpyrifos by various bacterial strains: Kinetics and pathway elucidation

The present study focused on the isolation and identification of CP and TCP bacteria degrading bacteria from the rhizospheric zone of aromatic grasses i.e. palmarosa (Cymbopogon martinii (Roxb. Wats), lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) and vetiver (Chrysopogon zizaniodes (L.) Nash.). So that these isolates alone or in combination with the vegetation of aromatic grasses will be used to clean up CP-contaminated soils. The study also explored enzymatic activities, CO2 release, dechlorination potential, and degradation pathways of bacterial strains. A total of 53 CP-tolerant bacteria were isolated on their physical characteristics and their ability to degrade CP. The ten highly CP-tolerant isolates were Pseudomonas aeruginosa Pa608, three strains of Pseudomonas hibiscicola R4–721 from different rhizosphere, Enterococcus lectis PP2a, Pseudomonas monteilii NBFPALD_RAS131, Enterobacter cloacae L3, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia PEG-390, Escherichia coli ABRL132, and Escherichia coli O104:H4 strain FWSEC0009. The CO2 emission and phosphatase activities of the isolates varied from 3.1 to 8.6 μmol mL−1 and 12.3 to 31 μmol PNP h−1, respectively in the CP medium. The degradation kinetics of CP by these isolates followed a one-phase decay model with a dissipation rate ranging from 0.048 to 0.41 d−1 and a half-life of 1.7–14.3 days. The growth data fitted in the SGompertz equation showed a growth rate (K) of 0.21 ± 0.28 to 0.91 ± 0.33 d−1. The P. monteilii strain had a faster growth rate while E. coli ABRL132 had slower growth among the isolates. The rate of TCP accumulation calculated by the SGompertz equation was 0.21 ± 0.02 to 1.18 ± 0.19 d−1. The Pseudomonas monteilii showed a lower accumulation rate of TCP. Among these, four highly effective isolates were Pseudomonas aeruginosa Pa608, Pseudomonas monteilii NBFPALD_RAS131, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia PEG-390, and Pseudomonas hibiscicola R4–721. Illustrations of the degradation pathways indicated that the difference in metabolic pathways of each isolate was associated with their growth rate, phosphatase, dehydrogenase, oxidase, and dechlorination activities.

Variation in productivity and essential oil composition of aromatic grasses grown in mid-hill conditions of the Western Himalayas

Variation in productivity and essential oil composition of aromatic grasses grown in mid-hill conditions of the Western Himalayas

Variety × Environment interactions for essential oil yield and cultivar recommendations of lemongrass in drought-prone areas

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon spp.), is a well-known aromatic grass distinguished by its unique lemon scent. The importance of lemongrass in gastronomic, pharmacological, and cosmetic uses is examined in this research paper. The chemical makeup of lemongrass is discussed, emphasizing the presence of citral and other bioactive chemicals that give the herb its flavor, aroma, and medicinal qualities. The study highlights the possible advantages of growing lemongrass in semi-arid areas like Lalitpur (U.P.) and Datia (M.P.) in the Indian state of Bundelkhand, since it may flourish there with little water and improve soil fertility. Five lemongrass varieties—Nima, Praman, CIMAP-Suwarna, Krishna, and CIM-Shikhar—are compared in the study according to their morphological traits, oil yield, herb yield, and citral content. Results demonstrate that the total citral content and essential oil output of the two kinds, LG1 and LG4, are constant between the two genotypes, LG3 and LG5, respectively, across the locations. Regarding the stable types, the location-specific recommendations for essential oil yield were LG1 and LG3, while LG2 and LG4 were suggested for the total citral content. With a few exceptions in the first and second locations, where some traits showed low to medium heritability, most traits in the different sites had broad-sense heritability that was generally high. In all three locations, there were substantial percentages of genetic advance over mean (GAM) for specific features. The retention of genotype stability depends on these characteristics. These cultivars possess advantageous characteristics for growing in the Bundelkhand area, potentially providing farmers with financial gains and improving land in semi-arid regions. The findings highlight the importance of lemongrass as a useful plant with a wide range of applications and aid in the selection of cultivars that are appropriate for a certain area.

Development and analysis of de novo transcriptome assemblies of multiple genotypes of Cymbopogon spp. reveal candidate genes involved in the biosynthesis of aromatic monoterpenes

Despite the high economic value of the monoterpene-rich essential oils from different genotypes of Cymbopogon, the knowledge about the genes and metabolic route(s) involved in the biosynthesis of aromatic monoterpenes in this genus is limited. In the present study, a comprehensive transcriptome analysis of four genotypes of Cymbopogon, displaying diverse quantitative and qualitative profiles of volatile monoterpenes in their essential oils has been carried out. The comparative analysis of the deduced protein sequences corresponding to the transcriptomes of the four genotypes revealed 4609 genotype-specific orthogroups, which might contribute in defining genotype-specific phenotypes. The transcriptome data mining led to the identification of unigenes involved in the isoprenogenesis. The homology searches, combined with the phylogenetic and expression analyses provided information about candidate genes concerning the biosynthesis of monoterpene aldehyde, monoterpene alcohol, and monoterpene esters. In addition, the present study suggests a potential role of geranial reductase like enzyme in the biosynthesis of monoterpene aldehyde in Cymbopogon spp. The detailed analysis of the candidate pathway genes suggested that multiple enzymatic routes might be involved in the biosynthesis of aromatic monoterpenes in the genus Cymbopogon. The present study provides deeper insights into the biosynthesis of monoterpenes, which will be useful for the genetic improvement of these aromatic grasses.

A mega-environment investigation based on the GGE biplot and genotype selection for high essential oil yield in Java citronella (Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt ex Bor.)

Five cultivars were tested for essential oil production in India's citronella Java breeding program in 2018–2019 and 2019–2020. The best experimental facilities for growing aromatic grasses like Java citronella are the CSIR-CIMAP in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, and its Research Center in Pantnagar, Uttrakhand, India. For each experiment, a randomized block design with three replications was used. As stability parameters, the cultivar stability rank and SI were determined. To further analyze the data, GGE biplots, the AMMI, and the ASV were all applied. The G-E interaction was depicted using the genotype main effect. The findings of this research have a considerable impact on the selection of Java citronella cultivars in regions with higher essential oil production because they increase essential oil yields and improve stability. A superior Java citronella strain would yield a lot of essential oil, do so consistently, and flourish in a variety of conditions given India's climatic characteristics. Its essential oil has mosquito- and pest-repelling qualities. In major urban areas, citronella stand crops are used as green, aromatic vegetation. Its essential oil is used to make a variety of products, including soap, fragrances, cosmetics, and insect repellents. The ASV assists in choosing stable variants in the AMMI model on the multivariate side of things. The most stable cultivars are those with the lowest ASV. Average amounts of essential oil are produced by cultivars C1, C4, and C2, and because C1 produced more than C3 did, C5 was suggested for commercial planting.

Effect of drying methods and soaking of Ascorbic acid on the chemical content and specific qualities of oil in lemongrass leaves Cymbopogon citratus L.

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) is an herb that belongs to the genus Cymbopogon of aromatic grasses and contains volatile oil with a fine lemon flavor. There needs to be more information on how drying affects the chemical content and specific qualities promoting the properties of the leaves. Hence, this study sought to investigate the effect of different drying methods and soaking with ascorbic acid on the chemical content and specific qualities of oil in the leaves of the lemongrass plant. An experiment was applied according to the CRD design. The experiment included two factors. The first factor was soaking with ascorbic acid at a (0.5) g / L concentration for 15 minutes. In addition to a non-soaking treatment and the second factor, the drying methods (solar drying, shadow drying, electric oven drying at a temperature of 40 °C for 8 hours) and the comparison by soft weight. The following characteristics were measured (percentage of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, volatile oil, oil density and oil refractive index), and the results were statistically analyzed using the SAS statistical analysis program. The mean of the coefficients was compared according to the Duncan polynomial test. The results showed significantly superior drying in the oven over other treatments, as well as superior soaking of ascorbic over non-soaking treatment and gave the interference (drying in the oven + soaking with ascorbic) the highest averages of the studied traits amounted to (2.3806)% for nitrogen and (2.691)% for potassium and (1.092)% for volatile oil and (0.879) mg/microliter of volatile oil density. The differences between these drying methods selection were significant variations in the oil content of lemongrass leaves and election in obtaining high-quality products. Essential oil compositions have also been observed to depend on the drying conditions. However, the order of preference of the drying methods that ensure adequate retention of chemical content and volatile oil of the leaves, as observed in this study, is oven drying > shadow drying > sun drying >, in the order of decreasing magnitude. Keywords: lemongrass, drying methods, ascorbic, chemical composition.

Determination of Oil Quality and Antifungal Effect of Selected Citronella Accessions (Cymbopogon nardus, Cymbopogon winterianus) to Formulate an Anti-Dandruff Shampoo

Citronella is an aromatic grass of the family Poaceae which can be classified into two categories Ceylon Citronella (Cymbopogon nardus) and Java Citronella (Cymbopogon winterianus). The Citronella oil was extracted from five selected Ceylon Citronella (HP T1, HP T2 and HP T3) and Java Citronella (MP T1 and MP T2) accessions using steam distillation and hydrodistillation methods. Citronella oil quantity extracted by hydrodistillation with Xylene from Ceylon Citronella was higher (2.45-2.67 mL/100 g) than the Java Citronella (1.57-1.64 mL/100 g). The oil quantity of Ceylon Citronella (HP T1-5.52 %, HP T2- 1.40 %, HP T3- 1.05 %) and the quantity of Java Citronella (MP T1- 1.25%, MP T2- 1.79%) extracted by hydrodistillation showed a significant difference (P<0.0001) and there was no significant difference (P=0.7055) between the oil quantity of Ceylon (HP T1- 1.07%, HP T2- 1.18 %, HP T3- 1.19%) and Java (MP T1- 1.16%, MP T2- 1.23%) oils extracted by the steam distillation. Both Java and Ceylon Citronella oils showed organoleptic properties with pale yellow to pale brownish yellow colour and a strong citrusy aroma which meets the ISO 3848 and ISO 3849 standards. The oil of Ceylon Citronella accessions showed refractive index (1.465-1.487), relative density (0.893-0.910), and ethanol solubility (1:2 mL) within the ranges specified in SLS 170 standards. Java Citronella oil exhibited the refractive index (1.4660-1.4730), relative density (0.880-0.892), ethanol solubility (1:2 mL), and optical rotation (-5? to 0?) which meets the specifications of ISO 3848 standards. Geraniol, Citronellol, and Citronellal were identified as the major constituents using the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) where Java Citronella oil showed high Geraniol content (48.60-49.17%) than Ceylon Citronella oil (16.93-26.49%). All types of tested Citronella oil showed inhibition against Candida albicans where HP T3 (1.9 cm) and MP T1(2.0 cm) oils showed the highest promising antifungal activity among Ceylon oils and Java oils respectively. Therefore, these two oils were selected for the antidandruff shampoo formulation. The two antidandruff shampoo samples were formulated with 2% v/v concentrations of HP T3 and MP T1 Citronella oil which were determined as MIC for the inhibition of C. albicans. Antidandruff shampoo tested against C. albicans showed greater antifungal activity (HP T3 - 2.50.05 cm; MP T1 - 2.50.05 cm) than the crude Citronella oil (HP T3- 1.90.11 cm; MP T1-2.00.1 cm), also attained the organoleptic and physical properties such as pH (4.0-8.0), foam height (>100 mL), dirt dispersion (no ink in foam), viscosity, low wetting time and solid content (HP T3-14.750.12%; MP T2-12.330.19%) in acceptable specification range. This study exhibits that Ceylon Citronella oil HP T1 has the highest oil quantity from all selected accessions. Hydrodistillation can be used to extract high oil quantity than the steam distillation method from both Java and Ceylon Citronella types. Compared to Ceylon Citronella oil, Java oil has significant potential industrial applications with high Geraniol content and with the highest antifungal activity against C. albicans. Also, the tested Citronella oil of all selected accessions of both Java and Ceylon types meet the organoleptic and physiochemical requirements specified by the ISO and SLS quality standards with excellent antifungal activity against C. albicans, which provides prospective to use Citronella oil as a natural, safe, and eco-friendly fungicide in future product formulations.

Acyclic monoterpenoid-rich essential oil of Cymbopogon distans mitigates skin inflammation: a chemico-pharmacological study.

The topical application of essential oils is considered an effective treatment for skin diseases. Cymbopogon distans (Nees ex Steud.) Wats (Poaceae) is a promising aromatic grass widespread in the Himalayan temperate zone. Therefore, using in-vitro and in-vivo bioassays, we examined the chemical and pharmacological characteristics of essential oil hydro-distilled from C. distans coded as CDA-01, specifically concerning skin inflammation. Characterization using GC-FID and GC-MS provided a chemical fingerprint for CDA-01, enabling the identification of 54 compounds; amongst them, citral (34.3%), geranyl acetate (21.2%), and geraniol (16.4%) were the most abundant. To examine the anti-inflammatory potential, CDA-01 treatment on LPS-stimulated macrophage cells in addition to 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) generated cutaneous inflammatory reaction in the mouse ear was assessed through quantification of the inflammatory markers. Consequently, CDA-01 demonstrated protection against inflammation caused by LPS by lowering the pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α) level in HaCaT cells with negligible cytotoxicity. Consistent with the in-vitro findings, CDA-01 treatment reduced pro-inflammatory mediators (TNF-, IL-6, and NO) and lipid peroxidation in an in-vivo investigation. Subcutaneous inflammation in TPA-treated mice ears was similarly decreased, as evidenced by the histological and morphological studies. As a result of our findings, it is possible that CDA-01 could be an effective treatment for skin inflammation disorders.

Cultivation of aromatic plant for nature-based sustainable solutions for the management of degraded/marginal lands: techno-economics and carbon dynamic

The cultivation of aromatic grasses on marginal/degraded land attracts attention due to their remediation potential, low input cost, and economic gain. During the distillation of these aromatic grasses, a huge amount of solid and liquid waste (hydrosol) is generated, which is not only rich in carbon content but also has a good amount of nutrient. This review summarized the potential of aromatic plants for the restoration and vaporization of distilled waste into different value-added products. In this review, estimates of the economic cost and carbon dynamics for cultivation, distillation, and waste valorisation of aromatic grasses were made using available data. Based on the literature, the available degraded land reported for India (38,600 ha) was used for the calculation. The review discussed Scientometrics analysis, the remediation potential of aromatic plants, and various routes of valorization of distilled waste generated to achieve sustainable development goals. Scientometrics analysis demonstrated the studies that include the phytoremediation potential of aromatic grasses in recent years. Among the aromatic grasses, Chrysopogon zizaniodes (L.) Nash., Cymbopogon flexuosus and Cymbopogon martini were majorly used for reclamation purposes for dry land, mine-affected areas, and metal and pesticide-contaminated soils. The estimated profitability of the cultivation and carbon sequestration potential of these grasses in marginal/degraded land could be 22–629 million USD. Our estimations showed that the cost of carbon sequestration by the cultivation of the aromatic plant in degraded land could be 16–45 million USD. The conversion of distilled waste generated into compost, vermicompost, and biochar could sequester about 0.02 X105-335 X105 t of carbon (cost: 0.2–1913 million USD). The use of hydrosol and smoke water released during the process could sequester about 0.014 to 7403 t of carbon ( cost 0.001 to 0.42 million USD). Overall the review demonstrated the sustainability and carbon footprinting of the remediation process by aromatic grasses. The review allowed the exploration of knowledge-based strategies to unlock the potential of aromatic plants for restoration and carbon sequestration, along with the value addition of distilled waste in a sustainable manner. However, more databases are needed to support the information, which includes the productivity and selectivity of individual aromatic plant for different soil and agro-climatic regions.Graphical

Livelihood enhancement and resource use efficiency under lemongrass intercropping with food crops

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus L.) is an important multi-harvest aromatic grass that grows mainly in tropical and subtropical parts of the world. Wider plant geometry of lemongrass provides a better opportunity for intercropping at the crop commencement stage. Intercropping will restore and maximize resource use efficiency thereby it enhances productivity. A field experiment conducted during 2018–2019 at CSIR-CIMAP, Research Centre, Bengaluru with thirteen treatments: sole crop of lemongrass, pigeon pea, okra, finger millet, field bean, cowpea, soybean and intercropping of these crop species with lemongrass was followed under randomized block design with three replications. The results revealed that cowpea intercropping with lemongrass recorded higher herb yield (30.36 t ha−1) and oil yield (364.32 kg ha−1). Whereas, field bean intercropping performed better in terms of equivalent yield of lemongrass oil. Among different competition indices worked out to know the performance of the intercropping system, the indices to access biological efficiency such as LER (1.33), ATER (1.12), LUE (189.22%), LEC (0.33), SPI (38.27), percent land saved (24.87) recorded highest in lemongrass + okra intercropping system. Values of CR (1.57) and A (0.32) indicate the dominance of pigeon pea over lemongrass. Economic indices RVT (1.28), RNR (1.26), cost-benefit ratio (2.39) and net returns (5173 US $) were found highest in field bean which was closely followed by the okra intercropping system. Thus, intercropping of field bean or okra with lemongrass has the potential to increase the profit of the farmer with greater resource use efficiency.

Comparative study on changes in biochemical constituents, yield and quality of lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) grown under different soil types

ABSTRACT Lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) is a perennial aromatic grass suitable for cultivation on a wide range of soils. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of lemongrass for utilizing alkaline lands and to examine the biochemical, yield and quality response of lemongrass cultivars on different soils. In this experiment, soils with different soil texture, i.e. S1- Clay loam soil; S2- Loamy sand soil; S3- Sandy loam soil; S4- Loam soil, were taken from different geographical locations. Physico-chemical properties, initial soil status of selected soil types were tested. Growth parameters, biochemical enzymes, yield and quality parameters of lemongrass varieties were determined. Post-harvest status of soils was also analyzed. Soil calcareousness and other soil characteristics like cation exchange capacity significantly impacted lemongrass varieties on biochemical properties such as proline content, lipid peroxidation, nitrate reductase activity, herb and oil yields, and constituents of essential oil. The herbage and oil yield of lemongrass significantly decreased with an upsurge in soil calcareousness. The total citral content in the essential oil was highest for the variety ‘Krishna’ (85.33%) grown in clay loam soil and lowest in ‘CIM-Shikhar’ variety (65.09%) grown in sandy loam soil. Post-harvest data of soils showed significant impact on soil ameliorating potential of lemongrass.

Geraniol-rich aromatic grasses (Cymbopogon spreng) can adapt to the environment by modifying harvest dates over the ecosystems in southern India on the Deccan plateau utilizing participatory management modeling and agronomic practices

Geraniol-rich aromatic grasses (Cymbopogon spreng) can adapt to the environment by modifying harvest dates over the ecosystems in southern India on the Deccan plateau utilizing participatory management modeling and agronomic practices

Dissipation kinetics of chlorpyrifos and 3,5,6 trichloro-2-pyridinol under vegetation of different aromatic grasses: Linkage with enzyme kinetics and microbial community of soil

The dissipation of chlorpyrifos (CP) and its hydrolytic metabolite 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP) in the soil is crucial for safe agriculture. However, there is still lacking relevant information about its dissipation under different vegetation for remediation purposes. In the present study, evaluation of dissipation of CP and TCP in non-planted and planted soil with different cultivars of three types of aromatic grass viz Cymbopogon martinii (Roxb. Wats), Cymbopogon flexuosus, and Chrysopogon zizaniodes (L.) Nash was examined in light of soil enzyme kinetics, microbial communities, and root exudation. Results revealed that the dissipation of CP was well-fitted into a single first-order exponential model (SFO). A significant reduction in the half-life (DT50) of CP was observed in planted soil (30–63 days) than in non-planted soil (95 days). The presence of TCP in all soil samples was observed. The three types of the inhibitory effect of CP i.e. linear mixed inhibition (increase in enzyme-substrate affinity (Km) and decrease in enzyme pool (Vmax), un-competitive inhibition (decrease in Km and Vmax), and simple competitive inhibition were observed on soil enzymes involved in mineralization of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur. The improvement in the enzyme pool (Vmax) was observed in planted soil. Streptomyces, Clostridium, Kaistobacter, Planctomyces, and Bacillus were the dominant genera in CP stress soil. CP contamination in soil demonstrated a reduction of richness in microbial diversity and enhancement of functional gene family related to cellular process, metabolism, genetic, and environmental information processing. Among all the cultivars, C. flexuosus cultivars demonstrated a higher dissipation rate of CP along with more root exudation.

Elemicin-rich Cymbopogon khasianus (Hack) Stapf (ex Bor) Essential Oil: Pharmacological Effects, Toxicological Investigation, and Compositional Analysis

Background: Cymbopogon khasianus is a widely used industrial and pharmacologically important aromatic grass species. Objective: The present investigation was designed to study and compare the elemicin rich Cymbopogon khasianus essential oil (EREO) and its pharmacological effects, genotoxicity with pure compound elemicin Materials and Methods: Chemical composition, identification was performed using GC/MS and NMR techniques. 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH), reducing power assay for antioxidant; albumin denaturation, protease inhibitor for anti-inflammatory; acetylcholinesterase (AChE) for anti-cholinesterase; amylase inhibitory for anti-diabetic; tyrosine inhibitory for skin whitening; disc diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration assay for antimicrobial, and Allium cepa assay for genotoxicity were used. Results: GC/MS analysis identified 38 compounds; among them elemicin 72.34%, D-limonene 3.81%; methyl eugenol 3.34% were the major compounds. A significant amount of antioxidant activity IC50 31.38 µg/mL; anti-inflammatory activity (protein denaturation assay) IC50 16.77 µg/mL; protease inihibitor assay IC50 51.08 µg/mL; anticholinesterase IC50 12.095 µg/mL; antidiabetic activity IC50 17.36 µg/mL; and anti-tyrosinase activity IC50 17.69 µg/mL were reported. Antimicrobial activity analysis against 13 microbial strains revealed negative effect. Genotoxicity study using Allium cepa assay revealed negative toxicity of EREO with aberration percentage of 04.30% and pure elemicin 05.30% which was very low in comparison to ethyl-methanesulfonate (EMS) 13.90%. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge this is the first scientific evaluation of novel elemicin rich EREO pharmacological properties and to compare with pure compound elemicin. Together, it can be stated that EREO possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cholinesterase activities way better than pure compound elemicin as well as standard drugs used.

Review on Pharmacological Activity of Cymbopogon Citratus

Cymbopogon citratus belonging to the family Gramineae is an herb worldwide known as lemongrass. The prefix ‘lemon’ owes to its typical lemon like odor, which is mainly due to the presence of citral, a cyclic monoterpene. Cymbopogon citratus a fast growing, perennial aromatic grass is native to South India and Sri Lanka, now widely cultivated in the tropical areas of America and Asia. Freshly cut and partially dried leaves are used medicinally and are the source of the essential oil. The plant is used extensively in Ayurvedic medicine. Studies indicate that Cymbopogon citratus possesses various pharmacological activities such as anti-amoebic, anti-bacterial, anti-diarrheal, anti-filarial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties. Various other effects like anti-malarial, anti-mutagenicity, anti-mycobacterial, anti-oxidants, hypoglycemic and neurobehavioral have also been studied. These results are very encouraging and hence this literature review was intended to study about the plant more extensively to confirm these results and reveal other potential therapeutic effects.

Performance of two aromatic grasses grown in association with mulberry trees on degraded land in the north-western Himalayan foothills

ABSTRACT The study investigated the potential of aromatic-grass-based agroforestry systems to rehabilitate degraded land in the north-western Himalayas. Five treatments; sole lemon grass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) (LG), sole java grass sole (Cymbopogon winterianus) (JG), lemon grass + Morus alba (LG + M), java grass + M. alba (JG + M) and sole M. alba (M) were planted in a randomised block design and the systems were evaluated in terms of plant and tree growth and yields over three years and effects on soil quality characteristics. Considering the 3-year averages, the highest survival rate of the grass (95%) was recorded in sole lemon grass, while the highest plant height (117 cm), number of tillers clump −1 (67), clump diameter (104 cm), fresh biomass (179 Mg ha−1), dry biomass (60 Mg ha−1) and oil yield (89 kg ha−1) of the grass were recorded for the lemon grass + M. alba treatment. The highest total fresh root weight (128.7 g clump−1) and number of total roots (511.7 clump−1) were recorded under sole lemon grass and for lateral root spread (78.8 cm) was recorded under sole java grass. The highest soil organic carbon and potassium concentrations were recorded in sole M. alba. The treatment with sole M. alba was recorded to have the highest values for the soil biological properties followed by the treatments with lemon grass.

Enhancing productivity of perennial aromatic grasses on marginal lands through plant growth promoting rhizobacteria

AbstractThe cultivation of perennial aromatic grasses on marginal lands is a socio‐economically and ecologically sustainable approach. However, the studies on assessment of the potential efficacies of consortium of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in enhancing the productivity of perennial aromatic grasses on marginal lands are rare. In this study, therefore, we studied the effect of PGPR consortium (Pseudomonas protegens and two strains of Bacillus paramycoides) on yield and economics of four perennial aromatic grasses (Vetiveria zizanioides, Cymbopogon citratus, C. martinii, and C. winterianus) in slightly alkaline (pH >8.50) soil. A field experiment was established in a complete randomized block design with two treatments (i.e. with PGPR consortium and without PGPR consortium) and three replications. The changes in growth (height, number of slips, and leaf area index), productivity (fresh shoot‐root biomass and oil yield), quality (important secondary metabolites), and economics (cost of cultivation, gross, and net return) in response to PGPR were observed at three harvests. The species‐specific effects of PGPR were found on the growth and productivity of perennial aromatic grasses. On an average, the highest increase in growth and productivity with the effect of PGPR was found in V. zizanioides followed by other grasses. The highest oil yield 16.38, 71.14, 53.13, and 49.49 kg ha−1 were recorded at third harvest in PGPR consortium treated plots for V. zizanioides, C. citratus, C. martinii, and C. winterianus, respectively. The agronomical economics show the highest net return of 2094.95 $US in the cultivation of V. zizanioides with the application of PGPR.

Removal of Nitrate Loads Pollution from Drinking Water by Using Different Aromatic Grasses: Green Technology

The rapid increase in population needs a vast amount of food and energy to survive. This review paper reveals the potential of aromatic grasses to remove nitrate loads from different sources of contaminated water. A sustainable development approach for growing food needed pure water for irrigation and drinking purposes. These days, farmers are using chemical fertilisers to increase the quantity of food energy without knowing its harmful effect: our challenge is to be aware of them with green technology and teach them how to use it sustainably. Currently, many countries are experimenting with the green approach with the help of plants; they are trying to eliminate harmful elements from contaminated water. This method of removing pollutants by plants use is known as phytoremediation. So, many countries are using it to accumulate and extract toxic substances like heavy metals and higher nutrients load from water with the help of this approach. These aromatic grasses have been identified most photo-stabiliser, hyper-accumulator, and hyper-extractor of the toxic substance and nutrient loads at contaminated sites without harming or negatively impacting these toxics to other parts of the plant. Aromatic grasses cost-effectively have higher economic value. Many studies observe that toxicity enhances the essential oil quality of these grasses and increases the value and quantity of oil. Thus, grasses are very suitable for removing nitrate from different contaminated water sites and may be they are option for ideal sustainable development approaches.