The Effect of Drought Stress on Phyllanthin and Quercetin Contents of Green Meniran Plant (Phyllanthus niruri L.)

Research on the effect of drought stress on the production of phyllanthin and quercetin in green meniran (Phyllanthus niruri L.) has been carried out. The research objectives are to determine the impact of drought stress on the vegetative growth of green meniran plants and determine the optimal level of field capacity and harvest time to obtain optimal concentrations of phyllanthin and quercetin. The research was conducted from September 2021 to September 2022 at the BRIN Laboratory using three levels of Field Capacity (KL) (30, 60, and 100%) and two harvest times (2 and 4 weeks). The observed parameters were morphologic parameters and the content of phyllanthin and quercetin. The results showed that drought stress and harvest time made a significant difference in the phyllanthin content and not a significant difference in the quercetin content. The highest phyllanthin content was obtained at 100% KL and harvest time 4 weeks after planting (WAP). The conclusions of this research are: Drought stress can reduce the vegetative growth of green meniran plants and to obtain optimal vegetative growth, green meniran should not be subjected to drought stress; To obtain the highest level of phyllanthin content from green meniran plants, the optimal level of field capacity and harvest time is 100% KL and a harvest time of four weeks; The quercetin content of green meniran is not significantly influenced by differences in the level of drought stress and harvest time. Keywords: irrigation engineering, harvest time, medicinal plant cultivation techniques, plant vegetative growth, secondary metabolite engineering