Elicitor-enhanced production of gymnemic acid in cell suspension cultures of Gymnema sylvestre R. Br.

Cell suspension cultures of Gymnema sylvestre treated with four different elicitors, methyl jasmonate (MJ), yeast extract, chitin and pectin were studied for the production of gymnemic acid as gymnemagenin equivalent, that was analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). All the four tested elicitors induced gymnemic acid production in cell suspension cultures. Highest gymnemic acid content was achieved following treatment with yeast extract (100.47 +/- 0.28 mg/l), this was followed by MJ (70.43 +/- 0.26 mg/l), pectin (64.19 +/- 0.23 mg/l) and chitin (62.72 +/- 0.13 mg/l). The addition of elicitors has shown a significant influence on cell growth that affected cell growth compared to respective controls. The highest gymnemic acid production was obtained after 20 days of elicitation in cultures treated with 0.5 g l(-1) yeast extract, it was 5.25-folds greater than in control. These results suggest that the addition of an elicitor to Gymnema sylvestre cell suspension cultures could stimulate and enhance gymnemic acid production. In our present study we could able to overproduce gymnemic acid up to 51.97 +/- 0.26 mg l(-1) (dry weight basis) in yeast extract treated cell suspension cultures.