Abstract:
Aims: Plumbago indica L. commonly known as rose-coloured leadwort in English is widely used in
the treatment of rheumatism, paralysis, leprosy, headache, leukoderma, enlarged glands, scorpionsting, cancer, ophthalmia, secondary syphilis, dyspepsia, haemorrhage, piles, flatulence and loss of
appetite etc. in traditional medicinal systems. Plumbagin is one of the major phytochemicals that is
responsible for most of the above biological activities of P. indica. This plant is gradually decreasing
from its natural habitats due to over exploitation for medicinal purposes. The use of tissue culture
plants for mass scale cultivation and phytochemical extraction can protect P. indica that grows in
the natural environment. The development of cell culture allows extracting plumbagin without
growing plants in the field.
Study Design: Quantitative and qualitative comparison of phytochemicals in tissue cultured and
conventionally propagated P. indica plant roots and callus was done using HPLC and GC-MS
analysis.
Methodology: The amount of plumbagin present in eight months old field-grown tissue cultured
and conventionally propagated (shoot cutting) plant roots, callus, and cell culture were quantified by
HPLC analysis and phytochemicals were identified qualitatively using GC-MS analysis.
Results: Conventionally propagated plant root extract had the highest plumbagin content 23.53 ±
5.34 µg/mL when compared with tissue cultured plant roots (12.90 ± 2.42 µg/mL), callus (0.009 µg/mL), cell culture pellet (0.015 ± 0.01 µg/mL) and cell culture supernatant extract (4.23 ± 2.07
µg/mL). The GC-MS analysis revealed that conventionally propagated plant root extract contained
a higher number of phytochemicals (16) while tissue cultured plant roots contained only four. Callus
extract contained only n-Hexadecanoic acid. Nine phytochemicals were detected in cell culture
pellet extract while only three phytochemicals were detected in the supernatant.
Conclusion: Tissue cultured P. indica roots can be also used as a source to extract plumbagin in
mass scale, yet conditions need to be optimized in order to produce high level of plumbagin. The
study confirmed not only the possibility of obtaining plumbagin through cell cultures in a bioreactor
system but also products that are mainly secreted into the medium.
