Nutrient feeding approach enhances the vegetative growth biomass, volatile oil composition, and myristicin content in hydroponically cultivated Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Nyman

Hydroponic is considered an eco-friendly and sustainable agro-practice for commercial-scale production of culinary herbs. The present investigation corroborates the effect of nutrient recipes (T1; Hoagland and T2; Thakur nutrient solution) on plant vegetative growth biomass and volatile components in the essential oil of Petroselinum crispum (Parsley) cultivated under hydroponic. Besides hydroponic, the study was also executed in pots cultivation with a growing substrate comprising of sand, cocopeat, vermiculite, and perlite. Gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were performed for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of essential oil. The results revealed that hydroponic cultivation with a nutrient recipe (T1) significantly improved the morphological attributes and physiological performance (photosynthetic rate – 15.52 µmol m⁻²s⁻¹) of P. crispum. Similarly, the higher growth (fresh weight and dry weight; g/per plant) of leaf, stem, and root were also observed in plants treated with a nutrient recipe (T1) cultivated under hydroponic. The maximum antioxidant potential (total phenol – 11.42 mg/g DW; IC₅₀ – 2.08 mg/mL) with GC analysis of myristicin (104.15 mg/L), α-pinene (38.42 mg/L), and β-pinene (25.02 mg/L) content were observed in T1 treated hydroponically cultivated plants. GC-MS study revealed that myristicin (39.84–51.40%), apiol (8.28–15.94%), β-phellandrene (2.54–9.13%), and elemicin (2.88–6.36%) were identified as major volatile compounds in the essential oil of P. crispum. Overall, the present study provides a simple yet robust hydroponic cultivation protocol for quality biomass production. The investigation will significantly contribute to environmental sustainability and encourage soilless agriculture.