Sodium chloride-induced metabolic shifts and morpho-physiological responses in <i>Bacopa monnieri</i> (L.) Wettst. for enhanced bacoside-A production

This study investigated the impact of NaCl concentrations (50-200 mM) on <i>Bacopa monnieri</i> (BM) grown under natural environmental conditions. The results revealed significant enhancements (<i>p</i> < 0.05) in various traits under NaCl exposure. Maximum increase of up to 1.4× (plant height), 2.6× (leaf number), 6.6× (shoot no.), and 2× (root no.) was recorded in morphological parameters at 100 mM. Similarly, maximum chlorophyll content (1.8×), catalase (2.2×), and guaiacol peroxidase (GPX) (2.4×) enzyme activities were also recorded at 100 mM NaCl. Furthermore, HPLC analysis showed a substantial increase (∼1.5×) in bacoside-A content after treatment with 100 mM. GC-MS analysis revealed stimulation of specific metabolites influencing bacoside production. This study offers a practical approach to enhance biomass and bacoside-A synthesis in BM plants, eliminating the need for costly <i>in vitro</i> methods and benefiting both farmers and pharmaceutical sector. Further investigation at molecular level for mapping changes due to different salt levels in metabolic pathways could also be performed.