# Secondary Metabolite Plasticity in Eclipta prostrata (L.) L. (Asteraceae) under Environmental and Biological Stressors

## TL;DR

This study explores how environmental and biological factors affect the production of secondary metabolites in a medicinal plant.

## Contribution

The study reveals that abiotic and biotic factors influence phytochemical plasticity independently of biomass.

## Key findings

- Light exposure, soil quality, and plant associations enhance secondary metabolite production.
- Metabolite accumulation is not directly linked to biomass.
- Carolina soil and shade conditions significantly impact phytochemical profiles.

## Abstract

This study examined
how light exposure, soil composition, and plant
associations influence biomass and the accumulation of secondary metabolites
in Eclipta prostrata (L.) L. (Asteraceae),
a medicinal plant with significant ethnopharmacological value. Plants
were grown under controlled conditions across different soil types
and shade and in association with Arachis repens Hando or intraspecific association. Metabolite profiles were analyzed
using HPLC-DAD and HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS. The results revealed that light
exposure, soil quality (especially Carolina soil), and plant associations
significantly enhanced the production of key secondary metabolites.
Interestingly, metabolite accumulation was not directly correlated
with biomass, highlighting the influence of abiotic and biotic factors
on the plant’s phytochemical plasticity.