Biochemical changes in photosynthetic pigments and phenolic compounds in Cinnamomum tamala under whitefly infestation
摘要
Whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporariorum) infestation affects the physiological and biochemical status of the medicinal plant Cinnamomum tamala. The study employed a comparative observational design under greenhouse conditions, analyzing naturally infested and non-infested plants using UV–vis spectrophotometry and HPLC. Photosynthetic pigments and selected phenolic compounds were quantified using standard spectrophotometric and analytical methods. Infested plants exhibited a significant decline in chlorophyll a (from 1.46 ± 0.21 to 0.86 ± 0.09 mg g⁻1 FW) and chlorophyll b (from 0.97 ± 0.06 to 0.53 ± 0.12 mg g⁻1 FW). In contrast, carotenoid content increased in infested plants (1.45 ± 0.25 mg g⁻1 FW) compared to controls (0.87 ± 0.14 mg g⁻1 FW). The concentrations of phenolic compounds, including rutin (20.88 ± 2.47 µg ml⁻1), quercetin (22.19 ± 3.86 µg ml⁻1), and caffeic acid (9.24 ± 1.74 µg ml⁻1), were also significantly (p < 0.001) higher in infested plants. These results indicate that whitefly infestation is associated with significant changes in pigment composition and phenolic content in C. tamala. The findings provide an assessment of biochemical responses under infestation conditions and contribute to understanding plant responses to herbivore stress in medicinal species.