Effect of Urea Fertilizer on the Weight of Different Parts of Datura stramonium and their Alkaloidal Contents at Different Developmental Stages

Abstract

Plants of Datura Stramonium var. stramonium were cultivated in pots at different nitrogen levels (60,120, 180, 240, and 300 kg/ha) using urea fertilizer as the nitrogen source. At various developmental stages, the weights of different parts of the plants which recieved 60-240 kg N/ha were significantly increased as compared with the relevant parts of untreated (control) plants. The 240 kg N/ha usually caused the highest increases in the weights of different parts of the plant.
Atropine and scopolamine contents of each dried part of the plant were determined by a previously published TLC-spectrophotometric method. The stem of 80 days old pretreated plants with 180 kg N/ha accumulated significantly the highest percentages of atropine and scopolamine. However, the 120 kg N/ha level caused the highest enhancement in the yield of atropine (65.24 %) and scopolamine (40.38%) in the whole plant during the reproductive (80 days old) stage as compared with the yield of these alkaloids in the relevant controls.