Production and Enhancement of Wedelolactone in Shoot Cultures of Eclipta alba.

A liquid culture system was for proliferation of shoot cultures of Eclipta alba Hassk. and production of wedelolactone in vitro. Multiple shoots, initiated on MS medium supplemented with 4.44 μM benzyl adenine (BA), were rooted and elongated on MS medium supplemented with the same BA concentrations. Further proliferation of the shoots was achieved in liquid MS medium supplemented with BA. Wedelolactone, an active hepatoprotective compound, was produced in relatively high amounts (3.8% dry weight) in shoots in vitro as compared in planta (0.1%). A considerable amount of wedelolactone was also excreted in the culture medium (0.78 mg L−1). Successful proliferation of shoots in liquid medium and the synthesis of wedelolactone in vitro open avenues for the bioreactor scale-ups and large-scale production of the compound. Leeching of wedelolactone facilitates the downstream processing for extraction of wedelolactone. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]