The effect of some soil parameters on the total alkaloid levels of tubers of Bongardia chrysogonum in three regions of Iran

The tubers of Bongardia chrysogonum، belonging to to Podophyllaceae، are rich in alkaloids. In this study، total alkaloid content of the tubers of this plant in Naghadeh، Zanjan and Boukan were determined by spectrophotometeric method. In addition، the effects of soil characteristics such as total nitrogen، potassium، pH، soil texture and tubers nitrate levels on the plant total alkaloid content were measured. The results of the analyses indicated significant differences between the total alkaloid content of B. chrysogonum in these three regions. Moreover، the results showed significant differences among nitrates amounts of this plant in these habitats. The highest and lowest nitrate contents belong to Naghadeh and Boukan plants، respectively. The evaluation of soil samples of these three regions indicated that the texture of soil in Naghadeh is clay-loamy، in Zanjan it is silty- clay- loamy and in Boukan it is loamy- sandy. It was also discovered that increase in plant total alkaloid content depends on the increase of sand percentag in soil to some extent. The effect of soil pH on total alkaloid content turned out to be nonsignificant.