Researchers from the Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Institute for Environmental Solutions (Latvia) and SIA “Field and Forest” (Latvia) have shown for the first time that Glechoma hederacea can be successfully grown under organic farming conditions and cultivation does not significantly affect the chemical composition and biological activity compared to wild-grown plants. This research is published in the open access journal “Plants” (IF=3.935).
Glechoma hederacea or ground-ivy, is a medicinal plant that has been known in traditional medicine for its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, and anticancer properties. It is broadly distributed throughout Latvia’s forests, shrubs and roadsides. The aerial parts of G. hederacea have been used in traditional medicine for centuries to treat colds, asthma, bronchitis, gastric diseases, diabetes and inflammation.
At the present raw ground-ivy material is collected in the wild, and despite its high commercial potential, there are no commercially available varieties for domestic or commercial growth. Nevertheless for growers it is very important to get well-adapted varieties with a suitable chemical profile.
The researchers, in their latest study have suggested that controlled cultivation of the already wild-grown G. hederacea would ensure stable and high-quality raw materials for processing industries. They have evaluated the growth of G. hederacea under organic agriculture and found that cultivation does not affect the chemical composition of the plant.
They have also guided the cultivation of G. hederacea and have described in detail the chemical profile of volatile and nonvolatile compounds in both flowering and vegetative shoots. They found that the most suitable harvesting time for polyphenolic compounds and essential oils is the flowering phase and the vegetative phase.
Read the article:
Sile, I., Krizhanovska, V., Nakurte, I., Mezaka, I., Kalane, L., Filipovs, J., Vecvanags, A., Pugovics, O., Grinberga, S., Dambrova, M., Kronberga, A.
Wild-Grown and Cultivated Glechoma hederacea L.: Chemical Composition and Potential for Cultivation in Organic Farming Conditions.
Plants 2022, 11(6), 819. DOI: 10.3390/plants11060819