💡  Aquaponics and hydroponics both are used primarily to cultivate vegetables and leafy greens. The prospect of cultivating medicinal plants using aquaponics and hydroponics to optimize secondary metabolites in medicinal plants is an exciting venture. Helichrysum odoratissimum (L.) Sweet, one of the most harvested and traded plants in Southern Africa, is used in the treatment of abdominal pains, heartburn, fever, catarrh, headaches, menstrual problems, urinary tract infections, and wounds. Crude extracts from the plant have pharmacological effects such as antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects.

📌 Research Highlights:
▶ The height and weight of the plants grown in aquaponics were taller and heavier than the plants cultivated in the hydroponics system.
▶ The hydroponically grown plants had higher tissue contents of macronutrients (N,P, and MG) than the aquaponically grown plants. The plants grown in the aquaponics system had higher leaf tissue micronutrient contents for Mn, Cu, Zn.
▶ Although not significantly different, plants in the hydroponics yielded a considerably higher total flavonol content than the aquaponic plants and field plants.  Higher concentrations of volatile compounds with proven antifungal activity occurred in the aquaponics plants.

🎯 The study concludes that the plants grown in aquaponics had higher antifungal activity while those grown in hydroponics produced a higher total flavonol content and antioxidant activities.

📷 Image: A significant problem that reduces optimal crop production in traditional soil farming is the presence of pathogens in the plants. Using aquaponically grown H. odoratissimum could increase its medicinal value as well as have its plant extracts be used against common pests.

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