European Journal of Biotechnology and Bioscience

Authors
Malay Ranjan Mishra, Rajesh Kumar Srivastava, Nasim Akhtar

Abstract
A carbon sources in the tissue culture medium is the absolute requirement for growth, development and metabolite production by plant cell culture system. Alkaloid are being high in carbon containing molecules, it is hypothesized that inclusion of additional carbohydrates along with the preferred sucrose as the carbon sources in the cell culture system of Catharanthus roseus might enhance its production. The present study is aimed at studying the effects of various sugars as additional carbon sources on biomass development and subsequent total alkaloid metabolism of C. roseus. Glucose, lactose and maltose were added separately at 1%, 3%, 5% concentrations along with 3% sucrose in both agar and suspension medium. It was observed that all three sugars significantly affect various observable parameters (fresh wt., dry wt., alkaloid content, production and the yield) in both agar solidified as well as in suspension medium. Although fresh wt and dry wt of cell biomass was 2-3 times less in the suspension medium but the total alkaloid production 2-3 times higher as compared to agar solidified medium. Addition of glucose at 3% concentration along with sucrose at 3% and standard PGR’s combinations showed the maximally enhanced total alkaloid yield of (0.615% dry wt) as compared to the control (0.605% dry wt). Both lactose and maltose at 3% increased the fresh wt. and dry wt. but the total alkaloid production was lesser in comparison to the control cultures. Hence, 3% glucose added as additional carbon source along with sucrose and other standard PGR’s combinations stimulated the total alkaloid production from the cell culture systems of C. roseus in suspension medium.