Tropane alkaloid production by shoot culture of Duboisia myoporoides R. Br

Multiple shoot regeneration and effect of sugars on growth and nitidine accumulation in shoot cultures of Toddalia asiatica

Background:

Toddalia asiatica (Rutaceae) is an important medicinal plant in traditional medicinal system of India and China. Nitidine production from callus cultures of the plant had been investigated, but in vitro multiplication and secondary metabolite production from shoot cultures is not reported.

Objective:

The aim of the present work is to establish protocol for in vitro multiple shoot regeneration of T. asiatica and to investigate the secondary metabolite, nitidine production from the shoot cultures.

Materials and Methods:

Different explants were used for shoot regeneration on MS supplemented with benzyl adenine (BA) either alone or in combination with naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) in different combinations. Effect of different sugars and different concentrations of sucrose on biomass accumulation in shoot cultures in liquid medium was investigated. For in vitro rooting, shoots culture were inoculated to half strength MS medium supplemented with different concentrations of indole butyric acid. Quantitative analysis of shoot culture extracts was done for estimation of nitidine by HPTLC.

Results:

Shoot cultures were successfully initiated and established from nodal and shoot tip explants on MS medium supplemented with benzyl adenine and sucrose (3% w/v). Sucrose at a concentration of 3 % w/v was found to be optimum for growth and biomass accumulation. In vitro rooting of shoots was achieved on half strength MS medium supplemented with indole butyric acid 3 mg/l. Investigation of secondary metabolite production ability of the in vitro regenerated shoot cultures revealed their ability to biosynthesize nitidine.

Conclusion:

Shoot cultures were established and nitidine production has been observed.

Production of tropane alkaloids during de-differentiation of Scopolia parviflora calli

The production of tropane alkaloids during differentiation and de-differentiation of Scopolia parviflora calli was studied. Tropane alkaloid production drastically decreased during calli de-differentiation. Scopolamine (1) production decreased after 10 days of culture, whereas that of hyoscyamine (2) decreased during de-differentiation of root to calli. The production of 1 was enhanced in calli undergoing differentiation to shoot after 60 days of culture, reaching a maximum by 80 days. However, production of hyoscyamine in regenerated plants was lower. The expression level of hyoscyamine 6beta-hydroxylase (H6H), a key biosynthetic enzyme for tropane alkaloids, was significantly increased in 4-week-old calli. This study suggests that the biosynthesis of tropane alkaloids is regulated inversely in de-differentiating Scopolia parviflora calli.

In vitro shoot and root organogenesis, plant regeneration and production of tropane alkaloids in some species of Schizanthus

A rapid in vitro propagation system leading to formation of shoots from callus, roots, and plantlets was developed for Schizanthus hookeri Gill. (Solanaceae), an endemic Chilean plant. The genus Schizanthus is of particular interest due to the presence of several tropane alkaloids. So far, in vitro propagation of species of this genus has not been reported. Propagation of S. hookeri consisted of two phases, the first one for callus initiation and shoot formation and the second for rhizogenesis and plantlet regeneration. From a single callus that rapidly increased in cell biomass (from approximately 50 mg to approximately 460 mg/culture tube [25 x 130 mm] in 60 days) in the presence of 2.69 microM NAA and 2.22 microM BA, more than 10 shoots/callus explant were formed. From the latter, approx. twenty plantlets formed after 90-110 days shoot subculture in medium devoid of growth regulators that favored root formation. Ten alkaloids ranging from simple pyrrolidine derivatives to tropane esters derived from angelic, tiglic, senecioic or methylmesaconic acids were obtained from in vitro regenerated plantlets. One of them, 3alpha-methylmesaconyloxytropane, was not previously described. The same growth conditions, as well as other growth regulator levels tested, were required to induce callus and root formation in S. grahamii Gill. Root organogenesis occurred despite a high level of BA vs. NAA used, (i.e., 4.44 microM BA and 0.54 microM NAA); however no shoot formation was achieved. In the case of S. tricolor Grau et Gronbach, only callus formation was obtained in the presence of various growth regulators.

Simultaneous analysis of hyoscyamine, scopolamine, 6β-hydroxyhyoscyamine and apoatropine in Solanaceous hairy roots by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

A new high-performance liquid chromatographic method is described for tropane alkaloid analysis in genetically transformed root cultures of Datura innoxia Mill. and Atropa belladonna L. Sample preparation, tropane alkaloid extraction with chloroform-methanol-concentrated ammonia 15:5:1 (v/v/v), was followed by solid-phase extraction on Supelclean LC-18 cartridges. Optimized conditions and careful pH control resulted in high recovery and reproducibility. Simultaneous determination of apoatropine, 6beta-hydroxyhyoscyamine, hyoscyamine and scopolamine was performed by HPLC on C18 (2) reversed-phase column. The application of Luna new-generation silica-based stationary phase resulted in excellent peak shapes using an ion-pair reagent and triethanolamine free mobile phase and allowed to exploit the full power of pH-dependent selectivity. Simplicity and improved selectivity make this method a preferred alternative of published ion-pair chromatographic methods. Validation studies proved that the global method has good repeatability and satisfactory recovery. Absolute limits of detection were 0.6, 0.6, and 0.8 ng for hyoscyamine, 6beta-hydroxyhyoscyamine, and scopolamine respectively.

Conductimetric determination of phenylpropanolamine HCl, ranitidine HCl, hyoscyamine HBr and betaine HCl in their pure state and pharmaceutical preparations

Sodium tetraphenylborate and phosphotungstic acid were used as titrants for the conductimetric determination of phenylpropanolamine HCl (PPA.Cl), ranitidine HCl (Ra.Cl), hyoscyamine HBr (Hy.Br) and betaine HCl (Be.Cl) through ion-associate complex formation. The molar combining ratio and the solubility products of the formed ion-associates were studied and calculated. The suggested method has been applied to the determination of the mentioned drugs in their pure state and pharmaceutical preparations with mean recovery values of 97.71-102.97% and relative standard deviations 0.25-0.85%. The accuracy of the method is indicated by excellent recovery and low standard deviation. The results are compared with the pharmacopoeial or the official methods.