Pigment Contents in Seventy-Three Wild Medicinal Plant Species of Juniper Forest Ecosystem at Ziarat Balochistan, Pakistan

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the pigments (chlorophyll a, b and carotenoid) contents in seventy-three wild medicinal plants species, through spectrophotometer methods. Leaf samples were collected from 73 wild medicinal plant species (including trees, shrubs and herbs), grown in the Juniper Forest ecosystem under same environmental condition of district Ziarat Balochistan Pakistan. Significant variation in the leaf contents (chlorophyll a, b and carotenoid) was noted among the 73 wild medicinal plant species. Lowest level of chlorophyll a (0.4 mg/g fw) was noted in Achillea welhelmsii L. and Alhagi maurorum Medic and highest content were in Perovskia abrotanoides Karel. and P. atriplicifolia Benth. (Around 2.0 mg/g fw). Chlorophyll b was minimum in Caragana ambigua Stocks., Daphne mucronata Scherb and Allium ascalonicum L. (0.1 & 0.15 mg/g fw), respectively and maximum (0.48 mg/g fw) was found in Pistacia atlantica Roch. F. and Serriphedium quettense. Carotenoid content was minimum (around 0.1 mg/g fw) in Arnebia griffithii Boiss. Allium ascalonicum L. and Asparagus neglectus Kar. & Kir., while the maximum level (0.8 mg/g fw) was observed in Berberis baluchistanica Ahrendt. Lowest value of total chlorophyll contents was established for Alhagi maurorum Medic. and Achillea welhelmsii L. (0.6 & 0.65 mg/g fw), but Perovskia abrotanoides, Karel. showed highest value (2.34 mg/g fw). Maximum content of chlorophyll a/b ratio (9.0) was reported in Caragana ambigua Stocks. and minimum was found in Achillea welhelmsii L. (1.6). The ratio of total chlorophyll/ carotenoids was maximum in Arnebia griffithii. (9.6), while minimum value was observed in Berberis baluchistanica Ahrendt. (1.16).