ELICITOR AND PRECURSOR MEDIATED ANTHRAQUINONE PRODUCTION FROM CELL SUSPENSION CULTURES OF OLDENLANDIA UMBELLATA L.

Enhanced production of anthraquinones from cell suspension cultures of Oldenlandia umbellata were established through elicitor or precursor treatment. Stock cell suspension cultures were developed in liquid MS medium supplemented with 2.5 µM NAA using friable calli. Standardization experiments of suspension cultures revealed that 10 µM NAA added liquid MS medium was optimum for the growth and AQ accumulation from O. umbellata suspension cultures. 10 µM NAA produced 9.96 mg g ^-1dw AQ on 30^th day of incubation. Later enhanced AQ production was achieved by the addition of elicitors or precursors into the standardized media on 25^th day of incubation and AQ quantification was done after 5 days of incubation. Addition of elicitors or precursors resulted in a sudden increase in AQ content. 25 mg L^-1 pectinadded suspension cultures produced 35.67 mg g^-1dw AQ and precursor feeding with 50 mg L^-1α-keto glutaric acid resulted in the accumulation of 42.63 mg g^-1dw AQ. HPLC analysis of elicitor or precursor mediated suspension cultures revealed the presence of alizarin and purpurin in samples. The overall AQ production by the addition of elicitors or precursors showed an increment when compared to that of control (9.44 mg g^-1dw AQ).