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Biotechnology of the medicinal plant Rhazya stricta: a little investigated member of the Apocynaceae family

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Abstract

Rhazya stricta Decne. (Apocynaceae) is an important medicinal plant that is widely distributed in the Middle East and Indian sub-continent. It produces a large number of terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIAs) some of which possess important pharmacological properties. However, the yields of these compounds are very low. Establishment of a reliable, reproducible and efficient transformation method and induction of hairy roots system is a vital prerequisite for application of biotechnology in order to improve secondary metabolite yields. In the present review, recent biotechnological attempts and advances in TIAs production through transformed hairy root cultures in R. stricta are reviewed to draw the attention to its metabolic engineering potential.

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Acknowledgements

This study was financially supported by The Graduate School in Pharmaceutical Research (GSPR) and The Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters. The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme FP7/2007–2013 under Grant Agreement Number 222716-SmartCell (to Kirsi-Marja Oksman-Caldentey).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, University of Turku, Vatselankatu 2, 20014, Turku, Finland

    Amir Akhgari

  2. VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., Tietotie 2, P.O. Box 1000, 02044, Espoo, Finland

    Kirsi-Marja Oksman-Caldentey & Heiko Rischer

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  1. Amir Akhgari
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  2. Kirsi-Marja Oksman-Caldentey
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  3. Heiko Rischer
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Correspondence to Amir Akhgari.

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Akhgari, A., Oksman-Caldentey, KM. & Rischer, H. Biotechnology of the medicinal plant Rhazya stricta: a little investigated member of the Apocynaceae family. Biotechnol Lett 39, 829–840 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10529-017-2320-7

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