In vitro culture and production of syringin and rutin in Saussurea involucrata (Kar. et Kir.) – an endangered medicinal plant

Abstract

BackgroundSaussurea involucrata (Kar. et Kir.) commonly known as ‘snow lotus’ or ‘Xue Lian’ is an important plant in the traditional Chinese system of medicine. The plant contains flavonoids such as syringin and rutin. These compounds have been reported to be anti-rheumatic, anti-inflammatory and dilate blood vessels, lower blood pressure, prevent cardiovascular diseases, enhance immunity, and act as anti-aging, anti-cancer, and anti-fatigue agents. The species has become endangered due to the excessive collection of S. involucrata plants in the wild, slower plant growth and ecological destruction of natural habitats. There is a severe shortage of plant material, while the market demand is ever increasing. Hence, it is very important to apply tissue culture technique for plant propagation and production of the bioactive compounds of this species.ResultsMultiple shoot induction and proliferation in shoot base explants derived from in vitro raised seedlings of S. involucrata was achieved on 3/4 strength of Murashige and Skoog’s (MS) basal medium (MSBM) supplemented with 1.0 mg/L−1 BA and 1.5 mg/L−1 NAA. Rooting was induced in 100 % shoots cultured on 1/2X MSBM supplemented with 1.0 mg/L−1 IBA for one week and then transfer to auxin free medium. The plantlets could be acclimatized successfully by sachet technique and established in the greenhouse. Maximum callus induction and proliferation in leaf segments was achieved on 1/2X MSBM supplemented with 0.5 mg/L−1 BA, 0.5 mg/L−1 NAA, 0.4 % gelrite and on incubation at 20 °C. Container closures had an influence on the quality and quantity of callus and production of the active compounds. The HPLC analysis showed much higher syringin content in in vitro shoots and callus as compared to commercially available market crude drug.ConclusionThe present study describes an in vitro culture protocol of Saussurea involucrata. The bioactive compounds, syringin and rutin could be produced through tissue culture technique without sacrificing the endangered Saussurea involucrata plants in the wild.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40529-015-0092-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Influence of LED light spectra on in vitro somatic embryogenesis and LC–MS analysis of chlorogenic acid and rutin in Peucedanum japonicum Thunb.: a medicinal herb

“…Similar to the present study, production of higher contents of secondary metabolite compounds by tissue culture plants compared to wild plants and commercial samples available in market has been reported earlier in medicinal plants such as Glossogyne tenuifolia (Chen et al 2014 ), Saussurea involucrata (Kuo et al 2015 ).…”

LED Lights Affecting Morphogenesis and Isosteroidal Alkaloid Contents in Fritillaria cirrhosa D. Don—An Important Chinese Medicinal Herb

“…et Kir. [ 27 ]. These and numerous other reports demonstrate that callus cultures have tremendous potential for the sustainable and large-scale production of secondary metabolites used in pharmaceuticals.…”

Improving large-scale biomass and total alkaloid production of Dendrobium nobile Lindl. using a temporary immersion bioreactor system and MeJA elicitation

“…Plant tissue culture technology is a rapid and mass propagation method for medicinal plants, and has the potential to increase the yield of secondary metabolites [ 13 ]. However, diverse culture systems influenced the propagation of plants and production efficiency of bioactive compounds [ 14 – 16 ]. At present, temporary immersion bioreactor system (TIBS) shows a better performance in plant biomass and bioactive compounds accumulation, especially in officinal plants [ 17 – 20 ].…”