Application of in vitro technologies for production of vasicine and vasicinone: Key bioactive compounds of Adhatoda spp

Abstract

Adhatoda vasica or Malabar nut belongs to the family, Acanthaceae. The other well-known members of this genus are A. zeylanica, A. beddomei, etc. These are evergreen and perennial shrub exhibiting high pharmaceutical value. The plant consists of a wide array of metabolites that are, namely, vasicine, vasicinone, vasicinol, vasicine glycoside, 5-hydroxy vasicine, deoxy vasicine, adhavasicinone, vasicolinone, adhatodine, vasnetine and anisotine. The leaves and the roots exhibit anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties, respectively. Having immense potential for its use in the pharmaceutical industry, these plant species need to be harnessed through biotechnological advancements for enhanced production of their secondary metabolites. This chapter provides an insight of the biotechnological approaches, mainly in vitro-based methods via direct and indirect regeneration (callus-mediated) and cell suspension culture, boosted with elicitors, for enhancing the accumulation of key secondary metabolites (vasicine and vasicinone). Additionally, the loopholes of existing technologies and the arenas that are not yet explored are also addressed in this chapter that needs to be worked on in the near future.