Alkaloid production by plant cell suspension cultures of Holarrhena antidysenterica : I. Effect of major nutrients

The effect of major nutrients on growth and alkaloid production by plant cell culture of Holarrhena antidysenterica was studied with a view to increasing the yield of the alkaloid conessine, a therapeutic drug used for treatment of dysentery and helminthic disorders. The studies resulted in development of a modified Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium that contained 60 m M total nitrogen with a NH 4 + ‐to‐NO 3 − ratio of 5:1, 0.25 m M phosphate, and 40 g/L sucrose. The growth regulators 2,4‐dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4‐D) and kinetin (Kn) were also found to affect the synthesis of alkaloid. Using an optimal level of inoculum (3 g/L), the modified medium resulted in alkaloid synthesis of 0.66 g/100 g dry cell weight, which represented a 4.25‐fold increase over that obtained in standard MS medium.