Relationship between Phenotypes and Chemical Profiling of Boesenbergia rotunda Collected from Different Habitats of Northern Thailand

Abstract

Fingerroot [Boesenbergia rotunda (Linn.) Mansf] is known to consist of compounds such as panduratin A and pinostrobin with inhibitory property against SARS-CoV-2 infection at both the pre-entry and post-infection phases. Consequently, demand for good phenotype selection has increased in the post-pandemic era. However, the availability of important active ingredients may be influenced by genetic variables and agronomic aspects. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between characteristics and genotype, and to preliminarily compare the phytochemical profiles of the landraces collected in Northern Thailand. Five local landraces and two wild types were gathered for ex situ collection for morphological assessments, genetic evaluation, and bioactive ingredients (mainly antioxidative potentials and amounts of the active flavonoids). The morphological data were able to distinguish the plant samples to those of wild, cultivated, and adaptive types, which was confirmed by their distinctive genetic variations. However, there was no correlation between the physical attributes and the amount of their bioactive constituents. It was also observed that the adaptation of plants to environmental conditions had a pronounced impact on secondary metabolite biosynthesis, and that such adaptations were likely influenced by genetic differentiation. The findings from this study could potentially be used to improve the cultivation, selection, and breeding of this plant species for desired traits such as increased bioactive compound content, or for conservation and restoration efforts of the landraces and wild types.