Quality and production enhancement of fish mint, Houttuynia cordata Thunb., cultivated in a hydroponic planting system with designed plant growth-promoting additives
Yen Chi Loo,
Yi-Hong Tsai,
Hsieh Chen,
Hui-Ping Hsieh,
Yen-Chang Chen,
Hsueh-Er Chen,
Zhi-Hu Lin,
Hung-Tse Huang,
I-Min Liu,
Chia-Ching Liaw,
Fang-Rong Chang
Affiliations
Yen Chi Loo
Graduate Institute of Natural Products, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 807378, Taiwan
Yi-Hong Tsai
Graduate Institute of Natural Products, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 807378, Taiwan; Department of Pharmacy and Master Program, College of Pharmacy and Health Care, Tajen University, Pingtung County, 907101, Taiwan
Hsieh Chen
Graduate Institute of Science Education and Environment Education, College of Science, National Kaohsiung Normal University, Kaohsiung, 807, Taiwan; Department of Research and Development, We-Win Bio-Medical Co., Ltd., Kaohsiung, 807, Taiwan
Hui-Ping Hsieh
Department of Research and Development, We-Win Bio-Medical Co., Ltd., Kaohsiung, 807, Taiwan
Yen-Chang Chen
Department of Research and Development, We-Win Bio-Medical Co., Ltd., Kaohsiung, 807, Taiwan
Hsueh-Er Chen
Department of Research and Development, We-Win Bio-Medical Co., Ltd., Kaohsiung, 807, Taiwan
Zhi-Hu Lin
Division of Materia Medica Development, National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine, Taipei, 112026, Taiwan; Institute of Traditional Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 112026, Taiwan
Hung-Tse Huang
Division of Materia Medica Development, National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine, Taipei, 112026, Taiwan
I-Min Liu
Department of Pharmacy and Master Program, College of Pharmacy and Health Care, Tajen University, Pingtung County, 907101, Taiwan
Chia-Ching Liaw
Division of Materia Medica Development, National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine, Taipei, 112026, Taiwan; Department of Biochemical Science and Technology, National Chiayi University, Chiayi, 600355, Taiwan; Corresponding author. Division of Materia Medica Development, National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine, Taipei, 112026, Taiwan.
Fang-Rong Chang
Graduate Institute of Natural Products, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 807378, Taiwan; Department of Medical Research, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, 807377, Taiwan; Drug Development and Value Creation Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 807378, Taiwan; Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, 804201, Taiwan; Corresponding author. Graduate Institute of Natural Products, College of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 807378, Taiwan.
Fish mint, Houttuynia cordata Thunb. (HCT) is an edible vegetable that has also been used in traditional folk medicines. As both a medicinal herb and a dietary source, HCT has been clinically proven to be a pivotal ingredient in formulas administered to alleviate COVID-19 symptoms. With the increasing market demand for imported materials, ensuring the quality consistency of HCT becomes a significant concern. In this study, the growing time for hydroponically-cultivated HCT with seaweed extract and amino acids added (HCTW) reduced by half compared to conventional soil-cultivated HCT (HCTS). Key quantified components in HCTW, flavonoid glycosides and caffeoylquinic acid derivatives, exhibited a 143% increase over HCTS. These crucial constituents were responsible for possessing antioxidant activity (IC50 < 25 μg/mL) and anti-nitrite oxide production (IC50 < 20 μg/mL). An economically-designed hydroponic system with appropriate additives is proposed to replace HCTS with improvements of growth time, overall production yields, and bioactive qualities.
