BACKGROUND: Reinwardtia indica, a highly valued ethnomedicinal plant, has been traditionally used to treat various ailments due to its rich phytochemical composition. However, the impact of environmental factors, particularly altitude, on its medicinal properties remains unexplored. This study investigates the effects of altitudinal variation on phytochemicals, mycorrhizal diversity, and soil physico-chemical parameters of R. indica. RESULTS: The phytochemical study of R. indica revealed significant variations in phytochemical content across different altitudes. The methanol extract from the high-altitude site (i.e. Chail, 2000 m) exhibited the highest levels of phenol (142.63 ± 1.88 mg/g GAE), tannins (146.11 ± 1.73 mg/g GAE), flavonoid (51.59 ± 2.20 mg/g RUT), carbohydrate content (485.00 ± 1.52 mg/g GLU), and protein (12.95 ± 0.35 mg/g GAE). GC-MS analysis identified different bioactive compounds with antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antitumor properties. HPLC analysis showed varying rutin content across altitudes, with the highest amount at higher altitude. The plant's association with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi decreased with increasing altitude, as evidenced by reduced mycorrhizal spore diversity and root colonization. Soil physico-chemical properties like soil pH, organic carbon, phosphorus and nitrogen also increased with the altitude. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that altitudinal variation significantly influences the phytochemical composition, mycorrhizal diversity, and soil properties of R. indica. High-altitude sites exhibited increased phytochemical content, particularly phenols, flavonoids, and tannins, suggesting enhanced medicinal value. Conversely, mycorrhizal association decreased with altitude, potentially due to environmental and soil property changes. These findings have implications for optimizing cultivation and conservation strategies for R. indica, highlighting the importance of altitude considerations in harnessing its medicinal potential.

• Klíčová slova
• Reinwardtia indica, Altitude, GC-MS, HPLC, Mycorrhiza, Phytochemicals, Soil properties,
• MeSH
• flavonoidy analýza   MeSH
• fytonutrienty * analýza   MeSH
• léčivé rostliny * chemie   mikrobiologie   MeSH
• mykorhiza * fyziologie   MeSH
• nadmořská výška * MeSH
• půda chemie   MeSH
• taniny analýza   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• flavonoidy MeSH
• fytonutrienty * MeSH
• půda MeSH
• taniny MeSH

Strategies to increase the secondary metabolite production, obtained from medicinal plants has been the topic of research in recent years. The symbiotic interaction between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and plants allows host-fungus pairings to enhance secondary metabolite synthesis. Therefore, the current study investigated the effect of inoculating two distinct AMF species discretely as well as in conjunction on the flower-derived secondary metabolites in Gomphrena globosa. The findings showed that the plants inoculated with combined treatment exhibited higher total phenolic (50.11 mg GAE/g DW), flavonoids (29.67 mg QE/g DW), saponins (122.55 mg DE/g DW), tannins (165.71 TAE/g DW) and terpenoid (8.24 mg LE/g DW) content in the methanolic extract. HPTLC examination showed the existence of kaempferol and benzoic acid with the highest amount (0.90% and 5.83% respectively) observed in the same treatment. FTIR analysis revealed functional group peaks with increased peak intensity in the combination treatment. Higher antioxidant activities such as DPPH (IC50: 401.39 µg/mL), ABTS (IC50: 71.18 µg/mL) and FRAP (8774.73 µM Fe (II) equivalent) were observed in the methanolic extract of combined treatment. To our knowledge, this is the first study on the impact of AMF inoculation on bioactive compounds and antioxidant activities in G. globosa flowers. Moreover, this study could lead to the development of novel pharmaceuticals and herbal remedies for various diseases.

• Klíčová slova
• Gomphrena globosa, Antioxidant potential, Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Nutrient uptake, Phytoconstituents, Symbiotic interaction,
• MeSH
• antioxidancia * farmakologie   metabolismus   analýza   MeSH
• fenoly metabolismus   analýza   MeSH
• flavonoidy * analýza   metabolismus   MeSH
• fytonutrienty * analýza   chemie   farmakologie   MeSH
• květy chemie   metabolismus   mikrobiologie   MeSH
• mykorhiza * metabolismus   MeSH
• rostlinné extrakty * farmakologie   chemie   MeSH
• saponiny analýza   metabolismus   MeSH
• symbióza MeSH
• taniny analýza   metabolismus   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• antioxidancia * MeSH
• fenoly MeSH
• flavonoidy * MeSH
• fytonutrienty * MeSH
• rostlinné extrakty * MeSH
• saponiny MeSH
• taniny MeSH