Emerging Technologies for the Production of In Vitro Raised Quality Rich Swertia chirayita by Using LED Lights

Abstract

The major bioactive compounds in S. chirayita are amarogentin (most bitter compound) and mangiferin, which contribute to its medicinal value due to its antidiabetic, anticancer, antimicrobial and antimalarial properties. In this study, we developed a light emitting diode (LED)–based culture setup as an alternative to the existing white fluorescent lamps (WFL) used as a light source in the tissue culture conditions of the plants. The in-vitro raised plants of S. chirayita cultivated under LED lights showed a higher accumulation of shoot biomass and secondary metabolites as compared with plants growing under WFL. In the LED lights experiment, red LED accounted forthe maximum biomass accumulation (3.56 ± 0.04 g L−1), and blue LED accounted for the accumulated maximum content of amarogentin (8.025 ± 0.04 µg mg−1 DW), total phenolics (22.33 ± 1.05 mg GA g−1 DW), total flavonoids (29 ± 1.03 mg QE g−1 DW) and DPPH radical scavenging activity (50.40 ± 0.16%) in comparison with other light conditions. From the findings, we propose LED lightning as a more sustainable, eco-friendly and reliable source for the enormous production of quality rich secondary metabolites in shoot cultures of S. chirayita than the traditionally used fluorescent lights.