ENHANCEMENT AND MASS PRODUCTION OF ANDROGRAPHOLIDE A MEDICINALLY IMPORTANT SECONDARY METABOLITE IN KALMEGH (Andrographis paniculata) THROUGH METHYL JASMONATE AND GIBBERELLIC ACID ELICITATION

Abstract

Andrographolide is one of the chief active ingredient secondary metabolite of Andrographis paniculata biosynthesized through both MVA and MEP/DXP pathways. It has multiple health promoting effects including therapeutic properties. In this study we have exogenously applied Methyl Jasmonate (MeJA) and Gibberelic acid (GA3) as an elicitor, in variable concentration, to access the effect on andrographolide accumulation. The experiment generates an integrated data set by RT-PCR and HPLC analysis. The result indicated that the biosynthesis of andrographolide has enhanced and highest 193.66 ± 0.47 mg/g of dry weight after 12 hours in 50µM of sample treated with MeJA. On other hand higher andrographolide was reported 123.50 ± 0.35 mg/g of dry weight in 1000µM GA3 treatment after 24 hours of observation. The relative expression levels of the GGPS gene in leaves showed different patterns of mRNA accumulation over the course of treatments. The expression of GGPS increased gradually within 48 hour reached the highest level 35.26 ± 0.24 at 12 hours when treated with MeJA, 21.41 ± 1.42 at 48 hours with the treatment of GA3 fold difference in relation to control respectively. Increment in the diterpene content has shown its association with the expression level of GGPS genes in the andrographolide accumulation regulatory cascade. The results clearly showed that andrographolide elicitation process was coordinately regulated.