J. Phyrol. Res. 16(l ) : I l5-l 16, 2003 EVALUATION OF ASCORBIC ACID FROM SOME TREE SPECIES OF CANAL IRRIGATED AREA OF RAJASTHAN

B;BS. KAPOOR and NISHI PRABHA KALLA Physiology and Biochemistry Laboratory, P.G. Department of Botany, Dungar College, ' Bikaner-334001, India.

Four tree species of canal irrigateC area of Rajasthan namely Ailanthus e-rcelsa (Simaroubaceae), Proso2isjuliJlota (Mimosaceae), Sa lvadora oleotules () and untlulata (IHgrsriaceae) have been s€lected for the evaluation of ascorbic.acid contents. Maximum stic acid contents was to'und in the fruitsof,salvadora oleoicles (l 18.14%) while minimun - thmrs of ProsopisiuliJlora (38.16%). kyttts: Ax,orbic acid; Electron donor; Livestock feed.

,ht -il is also called anti'scorbutic. forone hour. The mixtures were centrifuged 15 G b a iryortant primary Plant at low speed (2500 rpm) and supernatants Uftddllnowq for its property as were used for estimation of ascorbic acid I &E donor in PhotosYnthetic following the colotimetric'methode. efill+ayhfion. The role of ascorbic Absorbancy of each of the samples were dliffgro*'th and metabolism have measured on a spectroni-?0 colorimeter lb*dotby various workersr4. Free (Bausch & Lamb) set at 546 nm against :rigmr ascorbic acid has been report€d blank. Five replicates were taken and values fiw trgemoile mexicanar and some arid were expressed in mg/100 g.d.w- + SE. zone tree sDeciesqT. Some newly introduced Shoots and frutis ofall the selected plant species growing in canal irrigated areas four tree species showed much variation in of north-western Rajasthan have been the ascorbic acid contents, it was found recently studied for their ascorbic acid maximum in the fruib ofSa/va dora oleoides statuss. In the present study, attempts have (118.14 mg/100 g.d.w.) while minimum in been made to investigate the quantitative shoots of Prosopis juliflora (38:16 mg/100 production offree endogenous ascorbic acid g.d.w.) inTablel. inthe shoots and fruitsof Ailanthus excelsa, The foregoing studies thus indicate Prosopis juliJlora, and that tree species growing in canal irrigated Tecomella undulata. areas of Rajasthan are not only useful for Fresh and healthy shoots and fruits forages for cattle from the nutritive point collected from canal irrigated area ofPugal, of view but these are also important as Chhattargarh of Bikaner (Rajasthan) were they contain appreciable amount of dried andhomogenised in a mortarwith2o/o ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) which is Metaphosphoric acid (MPA) (10 mg considered as one of the essential powder: I mI MPA) and allowed to macerate constituents of the livestock feed.

Table 1. Ascorbic acid concentration in the shoots and fruits of selected hee species. (Values inmg/100 g.d.w. t SE)

Tree species Shoots Fruits

Ailanthus excelsa 42.44 + 0.1619 84.72L0.708

Prosopis juliflora 38.16 + 0.5515 43.42+0.775

Salvadora oleoides t15.02 * 0.865 118.14 * 0.8363

Tecomella undulata 78.84+0.557,< 98.92+0.775

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I lar sh Nl l. lrrd -\iuled S I 99 .1. Oirlrjirssail I I 5. l. .\hclg l! l(lix...lrt'or'lrtt' lcitl.lt,t:ttrrttitttt,sutrngr';. . 1. Kaprxrr l) I] S and ltitu l9t)6. Oikooslart' l-1 (l & ni' l\li I i st t I i /tn t !ul I ru nsfi t nnt il iott tt dtt'bttl t.t d rotcs. 2)19. tt . Lttt.tr.!rtittlit gl plA.\ittlig.t. Sptirtgcr ltlrtrrt g. Iti tu 20U l, .li.rol4rg i t a I utd p h.1r ot he m i t o I s t ttd i e s \'crlcg. IL'rlin,6 : 479--199. on sonrc nevbi.introtlut'etl planr species grotuittg 2. Arrron I) l. \\'hrtlcy F R and Allen M B 1951'J. in tntlira Gandhi Conal irt'igoted orea of Bilumer: Itner. ('henr. &tc.76 6324. dislricr. Ph. D. Thesis, M.D.S. Univ., Ajmer -1. Ishcrrvtrod lr A anrl Mapson L W 1962, Ann. Rev- (Rajasthan . Plottr. Physiol.. 13 329. ). 9' Jenson W A 1962, Botanicol HistochemistD'' 4. Mitsui A and OiY 1961, PlaniCetl Physiol.Tokyo 2 45. Principles and Pt?c/rca. W.H. Freem and Co., San 5. Kapoor B B S 1989, Oikoossory 62. Fransisco. 201.