Sacred lotus may hold secret of longevity

Study reveals its genetic makeup helps it combat environmental stress, retain seed viability

Published on:

24 May 2013, 12:26 pm

In Buddhist and Hindu scriptures, the lotus flower, which blooms in the mire where no other plant can survive, serves an interesting allegorical device. The resilience of this aquatic plant has served as inspiration to many a poet and philosopher through the ages. How does this aquatic plant survive in adverse environment?

In a bid to understand the secret of the lotus’ hardy temperament, a group of 70 scientists from the US, Australia, Japan and China conducted a study on the genome of the sacred lotus, Nelumbo nucifera, one of the first aquatic plants to have its genome sequenced.

A press note from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) quotes Jane Shen-Miller, senior scientist, Center for the Study of Evolution and the Origin of Life (CSEOL) at UCLA, as saying that the lotus ages over a period of 1,000 years, and can even survive freezing weather. “Its genetic makeup can combat stress. Most crops don't have a very long shelf life. But starches and proteins in lotus seeds remain palatable and actively promote seed germination, even after centuries of ageing,” says Miller in the press release.

Sacred lotus fast facts

The sacred lotus is a land plant that adopted water as a habitat about 135 million years ago
It was domesticated about 7,000 years ago in Asia, mainly in China and hence spread to the other parts of the Asia, where it is cultivated for its medicinal uses
Almost all the parts of the plant can be consumed by human beings. Rhizomes and stems make for palatable pickles, while leaves are used to make herbal tea. In some parts of Myanmar, Buddhist monks use it as fabric
The water repellency attribute, known as the lotus effect has been adopted by the industries which manufacture self-cleaning material called Lotusan. This property is now widely advertised for “self-cleaning” automobiles, buildings and fabrics
The sacred lotus is the first true aquatic plant to be sequenced and comparative genomics reveal unique gene family expansions that may have contributed to its adaptations to an aquatic environment. The lotus genome will accelerate the identification of genes controlling rhizome yield and quality, seed size and nutritional profile, flower morphology, and flowering time for crop improvement

“Lotus' exceptional water repellency, known as the lotus effect

The lotus is also among three plants on the planet that can regulate their own temperature

Hinduism