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Biotechnological approaches for the production of hypericin and other important metabolites from the genus Hypericum

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Abstract

Hypericin, a polycyclic naphthodianthrone and active plant pigment with the molecular formula C30H16O8, is a crucial phytochemical extracted from the dark-colored glands present on the aerial parts of the genus Hypericum. It is biosynthesized through the polyketide pathway by plant-specific type III polyketide synthases (PKSs). In addition to hypericin, the genus Hypericum is rich in various classes of phytochemicals. Alongside other bioactive compounds like hyperforin and flavonoids, hypericin exhibits antidepressant activity. Recently, hypericin has gained increased importance in the research due to its unique properties. Its photodynamic nature makes it an effective natural photosensitizer, extending its use in investigating skin disorders. Moreover, hypericin demonstrates antiviral and antitumoral properties. Despite its effectiveness in treating cancers and neurological disorders, hypericin production faces challenges due to its site-specific nature. Conventional methods struggle to meet the growing demand for hypericin. Biotechnological approaches, including plant tissue culture and bioreactor-based large-scale production, offer promising solutions to address this demand. This review focuses on various plant tissue culture techniques, such as cell and organ culture, and elucidates their biosynthetic pathways. It also discusses hypericin production using elicitation strategies involving biotic and abiotic components, as well as genetic engineering approaches to enhance hypericin yields. Bioreactor-scale production presents significant potential for sustainable hypericin production. Further advancements in understanding and engineering biosynthetic pathways hold promise for unlocking new avenues in hypericin production.

Key points

1. Hypericin is one of the potential anti-cancerous molecules from Hypericum.

2. Cell and organ culture offers potential approach for hypericin production.

3. Elicitation strategies have increased the production of hypericin.

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The present manuscript is a review article and there is no original data associated. All the literature referred has been represented in the form of tables and figures.

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Funding

This work was supported by the Deanship of Scientific Research, Vice Presidency for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research, King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia [Project No. GRANT5957].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Food Sciences, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, 31982, Saudi Arabia

    Jameel M. Al-Khayri & Wael Fathi Shehata

  2. Department of Life Sciences, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bangalore, 560029, India

    Sudheer Wudali Narasimha & Praveen Nagella

  3. Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Delaware State University, Dover, DE, 19901, USA

    Amaranatha Reddy Vennapusa

  4. Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Agriculture and Food Sciences, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, 31982, Saudi Arabia

    Muneera Q. Al-Mssallem

Authors
  1. Jameel M. Al-Khayri
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  2. Sudheer Wudali Narasimha
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  3. Amaranatha Reddy Vennapusa
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  4. Praveen Nagella
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  5. Wael Fathi Shehata
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  6. Muneera Q. Al-Mssallem
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Contributions

Conceptualization—(J.M.A.-K.), (P.N.).; methodology— (W.N.S); resources— (W.N.S), (A.R.V),; writing—original draft preparation (W.N.S), (A.R.V).; writing—review and editing - (M.Q.A), (W.F.S).; supervision—(J.M.A.-K.), (P.N.).; funding acquisition, J.M.A.-K. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Jameel M. Al-Khayri or Praveen Nagella.

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This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

Conflict of interest

Jameel M Al-Khayri declares that he has no conflict of interest. Wudali N. Sudheer declares that he has no conflict of interest. Amaranatha Reddy Vennapusa declares that he has no conflict of interest. Praveen Nagella declares that he has no conflict of interest. Wael Fathi Shehata declares that he has no conflict of interest. Muneera Q. Al-Mssallem declares that she has no conflict of interest.

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Al-Khayri, J.M., Narasimha, S.W., Vennapusa, A.R. et al. Biotechnological approaches for the production of hypericin and other important metabolites from the genus Hypericum. Plant Cell Tiss Organ Cult 156, 100 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11240-024-02723-7

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