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Elicitation as yield enhancement strategy for glycyrrhizin production by cell cultures of Abrus precatorius Linn.

  • Plant Physiology
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Abstract

Glycyrrhizin is an important phytoconstituent of licorice which is widely used in the pharmaceutical and food industry. As the roots and leaves of Abrus precatorius also contain glycyrrhizin, it can be used as an alternative source of glycyrrhizin. In spite of extensive research work undertaken with cultures of Glycyrrhiza glabra, the glycyrrhizin production remains elusive. Successful production of glycyrrhizin in cell cultures of A. precatorius is being reported for the first time in our study. Cell cultures of A. precatorius L. were treated with the elicitors prepared from the fungi (Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus stolonifer), yeast extract, salicylic acid, ascorbic acid, and eugenol to induce and enhance the synthesis of glycyrrhizin. In the present study, an integrated yield enhancement strategy, developed by the addition of selected elicitor (A. niger and ascorbic acid) at optimized concentrations, resulted in 24.6 g/l dry cell weight biomass and 53.62 mg/l glycyrrhizin, which was 5.22 times higher in productivity in comparison to control cultures.

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Acknowledgement

One of the authors, Vijai S. Karwasara, wishes to acknowledge All India Council for Technical Education, New Delhi for providing junior research fellowship.

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  1. Biotechnology Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dr. H.S. Gour University, Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, 470003, India

    Vijai Singh Karwasara, Rinki Jain, Priti Tomar & V. K. Dixit

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  1. Vijai Singh Karwasara
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  2. Rinki Jain
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  3. Priti Tomar
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  4. V. K. Dixit
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Correspondence to V. K. Dixit.

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Editor: N. Ochoa-Alejo

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Karwasara, V.S., Jain, R., Tomar, P. et al. Elicitation as yield enhancement strategy for glycyrrhizin production by cell cultures of Abrus precatorius Linn.. In Vitro Cell.Dev.Biol.-Plant 46, 354–362 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11627-010-9278-7

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