Multiple shoot cultures of Withania somnifera were established from single shoot tip explants and their potential for the production of two principle withanolides, withaferin A and withanolide D was investigated. Shoot tips grown on MS medium supplemented with BA (1 mg I-1) induced 10.0 ± 1.15 microshoots per explants and shoot cultures accumulated both withanolides (withaferin A = 0.04%, withanolide D = 0.06%). Supplementation of MSSM (solid) agar medium with 4% sucrose enhanced accumulation of both withaferin A (0.16%) and withanolide D (0.08%). Reduction of the agar concentration to 0.16% increased the number of microshoots induced per explant to 25.5. MSSM liquid medium containing 10% coconut milk favoured a maximum increase in biomass (27 fold); number of microshoots induced (37.6 ± 1.45) as well as accumulation of withaferin A (0.14%).

SUDIPTA RAY

Botany

S JHA

University of Calcutta (informally known as Calcutta University or CU) is a collegiate public state university located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.&nbsp;Within India it is recognized as a &quot;Five-Star University&quot; and accredited &quot;A&quot; Grade by National Assessment and Accreditation Council.

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The University of Calcutta has secured the Fifth position among the Universities of India in the prestigious &quot;Indian University Ranking 2019&quot; list, released by the NIRF of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India.

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It was established on 24 January 1857, and was one of the first institutions in Asia to be established as a multidisciplinary and Western-style university. Its alumni and faculty include several heads of state, heads of government, social reformers, prominent artists, only academy award winner and Dirac medal winner in India, many Fellows of the Royal Society and five Nobel laureates as of 2019 which is highest in South Asia.

University Of Calcutta

Planta Medica

Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal, is an important medicinal plant being the source of extremely important compounds like withanolides and withaferin. Influence of different plant growth regulators (PGRs) were evaluated for induction of callus, callus mediated regeneration and production of secondary metabolites in them. Explants for callusing were collected from plants grown in vitro and maximum callusing (98 %) was obtained on MS medium supplemented with a combination of 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D) (0. 5 mg l-1) and kinetin (KN) (0. 2 mg l-1). Among different types of calli, best shoot regeneration was observed on green, compact calli produced on MS medium with a combination of 6-benzylamino purine (BAP) and indole butyric acid (IBA). MS medium supplemented with BAP (2 mg l-1) showed highest frequency (98 %) of shoot bud regeneration. The micro-shoots were efficiently rooted on MS media supplemented with 0. 5 mg l-1 IBA. Rooted plants were transferred to soil-vermi-compost (1:3; w/w) medium in greenhouse for acclimatization. Presence of withanolide A and withaferin A in calli was validated through high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC). It was interesting to observe that the PGRs showed significant influence on the secondary metabolites production in callus and 2,4-D having the least effect. Histological studies revealed the origin of shoot tip in the callus during regeneration. © 2012 Prof. H.S. Srivastava Foundation for Science and Society.

Fulltext

Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants

Influence of plant growth regulators on callus mediated regeneration and secondary metabolites synthesis in Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal

Plant Genetic Resources: Characterisation and Utilisation

Biotechnological approaches for the production of forskolin, withanolides, colchicine and tylophorine

Increased forskolin yield was obtained in transformed root, rhizogenic calli and cell suspension cultures of Coleus forskohlii when treated alone with various concentrations of auxins (IAA, IBA, NAA, 2,4-D), auxin conjugates (IAA-ala, IAA-gly, IAA-phe, IAA-asp), cytokinins (Kn, BAP) and gibberellic acid (GA3), An 8.9-fold stimulation in forskolin production was achieved in transformed rhizogenic line GCO-RCH-10 in presence of 1.0 mg I-1 GA3, 6-fold in cell suspension line GSO-5/7-k in presence of 2 mg I-1 BAP and 4.3-fold in root line RC-ST-2/16 in presence of 0.5 mg I-1 GA3 at the end of a culture period of 4 weeks. Growth and morphology was found to be influenced by the growth regulators studied. A seven fold increase in biomass was obtained in rhizogenic line GCO-RCH-10 with 0.5 mg I-1 GA3. In root line RC-ST-2/16, different concentrations of IAA, IAA conjugates and GA3 stimulated growth while cytokinins inhibited growth of roots. The shoot culture line ST-2/51/d, showed prolific growth in the presence of all cytokinins but no forskolin was detected in the shoot cultures treated with any of these hormones.

Journal	Planta Medica
Publisher	GEORG THIEME VERLAG KG
ISSN	0032-0943