Enhanced diterpene lactone (andrographolide) production from elicited adventitious root cultures of Andrographis paniculata

Abstract

The influence of different chemical elicitors was evaluated for increased andrographolide production using adventitious root cultures of Andrographis paniculata. Fresh weight (FW) and dry weight (DW) of adventitious roots was decreased with increased concentrations of all the elicitors (Jasmonic acid: JA; Salicylic acid: SA; Acetyl salicylic acid: ASA and Methyl salicylic acid: MeSA). However, especially with 1 μM JA, an increase of FW and DW was observed in all weeks, except the fourth and seventh weeks, when compared to un-elicited (control) cultures. JA concentration at 1 μM was effective and 3.5-fold improvement in andrographolide production over control cultures was observed after the first week. Maximum andrographolide content of 10.8-fold (2.548 % DW) was obtained after the first week using adventitious root cultures elicited with 25 μM JA compared to control (0.234 % DW). Amongst the concentrations of SA and its derivatives, elicitation with MeSA at 100 μM for seven days promoted 2.6-fold increase in andrographolide production. JA was found superior than SA, and JA stimulated increased andrographolide content in adventitious root cultures of A. paniculata. Our observations indicated that an inoculum (0.02 g) of adventitious roots can generate as much as a 1200 fold increased biomass (25 g) within twenty weeks by repeated multiplication with a subculture interval of four weeks. These results may be helpful for large-scale cultivation of adventitious root cultures and production of pharmaceutically important andrographolide. This is the first report on elicitation using adventitious root cultures of A. paniculata involving chemical elicitors.