Gamma irradiation of medicinally important plants and the enhancement of secondary metabolite production

Abstract

Purpose: The profitable production of some important plant-based secondary metabolites (ginsenosides, saponins, camptothecin, shikonins etc.) in vitro by gamma irradiation is a current area of interest. We reviewed different types of secondary metabolites, their mode of synthesis and effect of γ-radiation on their yield for different plants, organs and in vitro cultures (callus, suspension, hairy root). Special effort has been made to review the biochemical mechanisms underlying the increase in secondary metabolites. A comparison of yield improvement with biotic and abiotic stresses was made.

Results: Phenolic compounds increase with γ-irradiation in whole plants/plant parts; psoralen content in the common herb babchi (Psoralea corylifolia) was increased as high as 32-fold with γ-irradiation of seeds at 20 kGy. The capsaicinoids, a phenolic compound increased about 10% with 10 kGy in paprika (Capsicum annum L.). The in vitro studies show all the three types of secondary metabolites are reported to increase with γ-irradiation. Stevioside, total phenolic and flavonoids content were slightly increased in 15 Gy-treated callus cultures of stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bert.). In terpenoids, total saponin and ginsenosides content were increased 1.4- and 1.8-fold, respectively, with 100 Gy for wild ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer) hairy root cultures. In alkaloids, camptothecin yield increased as high as 20-fold with 20 Gy in callus cultures of ghanera (Nothapodytes foetida). Shikonins increased up to 4-fold with 16 Gy in suspension cultures of purple gromwell (Lithospermum erythrorhizon S.). The enzymes associated with secondary metabolite production were increased with γ-irradiation of 20 Gy; namely, phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) for phenolics, chalcone synthase (CHS) for flavonoids, squalene synthase (SS), squalene epoxidase (SE) and oxidosqualene cyclases (OSC) for ginsenosides and PHB (p-hydroxylbenzoic acid) geranyl transferase for shikonins.

Conclusions: An increase in secondary metabolites in response to various biotic and abiotic stresses is compared with ionizing radiation. A ∼5- to 20-fold increase is noted with ∼20 Gy irradiation dose. It increases the yield of secondary metabolites by enhancing the activity of certain key biosynthetic enzymes. Identification of the optimum dose is the important step in the large-scale production of secondary metabolites at industrial level.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Gamma irradiation
• secondary metabolites
• phenolic compounds
• ginsenosides
• camptothecin
• shikonins

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Funding

This work was supported by DST-FIST [SR/FST/LSI-366/2008 Dt. 18.02.2009] and UGC-SAP [F.4-2/2015/DRS-III/(SAP-II) Dt. 31.03.2015].

Notes on contributors

Mr P. Vivek Vardhan is a PhD scholar at Department of Biotechnology, Pondicherry University, India. He is a UGC-BSR fellow and holds an M.Sc. degree in Biochemistry with distinction from GITAM University. He is working in plant biotechnology and has made oral presentations at conferences ICRB-2016, Indian Science Congress-2016 and IABMS-2016.

Dr Lata I. Shukla is a DST-BOYSCAST fellow, a plant biotechnologist, working as an Assistant Professor at Department of Biotechnology, Pondicherry University, India. Contributions in radiation biology include the EPR of trapped electrons in irradiated seeds, first report of EPR and sugar damage in DNA and conserved miRNA in plants.