Tailor-made LED illumination inducing metabolic variations in Centella asiatica, an important medicinal herb

Plant growth and development are influenced by the growth as well as physiological conditions, age of the plant, environment and genetic factors. Photo-induced signalling plays a significant role in regulating the growth and metabolism of plants. Secondary metabolites can serve as a metabolic signature for light-induced responses. The current study is aimed at analyzing the quantitative yield of chlorophyll pigments, total phenolic content and asiaticoside in LED illuminated grown plants of the medicinal herb Centella asiatica. A light intensity of 163 μmol/m²/s and 9-hour photoperiod, combination light source induced a total yield of 991 μg/g dry wt. asiaticoside. The total phenolic content has been correlated with the RB ratio. The analysis of the experimental results further confirms that it is feasible to grow medicinal plants under LED illuminated conditions. Such plants can serve as elite crude drugs owing to the presence of elevated active metabolic content.