The herbal dietary supplement and phytopharmaceutical industries rely on plant material as basic components for their products. That raw material is inherently variable, making standardization of end products very difficult. Since phytochemicals are often produced in response to environmental influences, a horticultural system that reduces environmental variation can improve the uniformity of the plant material. This proposal outlines a study to evaluate the feasibility of using aeroponics a tape of hydroponics, for production of clean, consistent raw materials for botanical-based health products. Specific engineering modifications have been incorporated into the aeroponic design, intending to maximize root production and reduce plant to plant variability within the system. The new design will be tested in a greenhouse experiment using a fast-growing plant, Arctium lappa (burdock), and the horticultural and phytochemical yields will be quantified in a statistically valid study. Specific lignan derivatives will be quantified as marker compound(s) for estimation of the quality of the material. Root material harvested from the aeroponic system will be compared to root material from plants grown in soil. Other root crops will be evaluated in future studies, as well as automated systems for successive harvests of roots from perennial species.
The commercial potential for this technology lies in providing large and small scale growers a method for producing clean consistent raw materials for the herbal and phytopharmaceutical industries.
