Catharanthus roseus alkaloids: Application of biotechnology for improving yield

Abstract

Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don. is a well known medicinal plant. It produces several phyto-compounds many of which show anticancerous properties. The yields of these compounds are however, very low. In this present article, the current development of secondary metabolite synthesis in C. roseus involving biotechnology has been reviewed keeping in mind the various basic factors that influence yield. The importance of cell culture, the role of culturing conditions and other approaches aiming at higher production of alkaloids have been discussed. The genes encoding important enzymes, proteomics, expressed sequence tag and transcription factors in relation to alkaloid yield have also been summarized in order to understand the regulatory mechanisms of C. roseus. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.