From our results, it can be concluded that the addition of
CaCl2 to drought stressed C. roseus plants have a significant
role in partial alleviation of water deficit stress. Thus it is clear
that, plants under water deficit are highly regulated by components
of osmoregulation and secondary metabolite contents
and which can be altered by the treatment with CaCl2. In conclusion,
the present investigation established the feasibility of
drought stress amelioration with CaCl2 treatment in commercially
important medicinal plant like C. roseus. However, the
present study addressed only the changes in defence mechanisms
and total indole alkaloids under drought and CaCl2 treatments.
The impact of drought and CaCl2 on individual alkaloid profiles
of this medicinal plant requires additional investigation, which
is underway in our lab