Optimizing hydroponic culture media and NO3?/NH4+ ratio for improving essential oil compositions of purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea L.)

Abstract Medicinal plants represent a valuable commodity due to beneficial effects of their natural products on human health, prompting need for finding way optimize/increase production. In this study, novel growing media with various perlite particle size and its mixture peat moss was tested hydroponic-based production Echinacea purpurea medicinal plant under greenhouse conditions. The growth parameters such as height, total fresh leave weight, root biomass, chlorophyll, leaf area, essential oil compositions were assessed. Perlite in the varied from very coarse (more than 2 mm) fine (less 0.5 mm), ratio between 50:50 v/v 30:70 v/v. addition, two nitrate (NO 3 ? ) ammonium (NH 4 + ratios (90:10 70:30) each media. medium containing fine-grade found be most optimal E. performance, resulting maximal dry surface chlorophyll content. It also that an increase NO /NH caused significant major terpene hydrocarbons extract best germacrene D (51%), myrcene (15%), ?-pinene (12%), ?-caryophyllene (11%), 1-Pentadecene (4.4%), respectively. percentages these increased by increasing ratio. can concluded decreasing .