Plant efficacy and alkaloids production in sadabahar (catharanthus roseus l.): role of potent pgrs and mineral nutrients

Abstract

Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don (Apocynaceae) is a medicinal plant that produces indole alkaloids used in cancer chemotherapy. C. roseus has been the most commonly used model plant for the study of the biosynthetic pathways regarding indole alkaloids. Most important anticancer alkaloids of C. roseus are vincristine and vinblastine. These alkaloids are extracted commercially from large amount of leaf-biomass of C. roseus plants. The concentration of these alkaloids is very low (about 0.005%) in this plant and the artificial synthesis is very expensive and cumbersome. At present, India is the third largest manufacturer of vinblastine and vincristine in the world and is exporting these alkaloids to European and other countries. High demand and low yield of these alkaloids in the plant has led to conduct researches in order to explore for alternative means of their production. Great efforts have been made to produce these alkaloids at large scale by cultures of plant cell suspensions and diverse tissues (such as hairy roots). With the same aim, the role of plant growth regulators (PGRs) in regulation of C. roseus indole alkaloids biosynthesis has been extensively researched. In fact, there is immense need of enhancing the production of these medicinally important alkaloids in view of their massive demand worldwide. The present review provides information regarding the role of potent PGRs [namely, gibberellic acid (GA3), epibrassinolide (EBL), kinetin (Kn), and triaconta- nol (TRIA)], mineral nutrients (such as N, P, and K) and radiation-processed polysaccharides (sodium alginate and carrageenan) in boosting up the growth, metabolism, and other plant processes, particularly the production of anticancer alkaloids (vinblastine and vincristine) in C. roseus plants.