Optimization of methyl jasmonate and β-cyclodextrin for enhanced production of taraxerol and taraxasterol in (Taraxacum officinale Weber) cultures

•Taraxacum officinale commonly known as dandelion contains compounds Taraxerol (TA) and Taraxasterol (TX) in its roots.•Both these compounds are present in plant in very small amount and are reported to be anticancer.•Abiotic elicitors Methyl Jasmonate (MJ) and β-Cyclodextrin (CD) were added to the root callus suspension cultures of Dandelion.•Central composite design (CCD) was used to optimize the concentration of MJ and CD to obtain improved yield of TA and TX.•Quantification of TA and TX from the elicitor added cultures was done by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC).

ContextTaraxacum officinale Weber (TO) commonly known as “dandelion”, is a tropical Asian medicinal plant which contains taraxasterol (TX) and taraxerol (TA) in its roots, which are reported to be commercially important anticancer compounds.ObjectiveThe main objective of the present study was to evaluate the increase in yield of TX and TA through elicitation by addition of abiotic elictors like methyl jasmonate (MJ) and β-cyclodextrin (CD), to the root callus suspension cultures of TO.Materials and methodsThe root callus suspension was maintained on Murashige and Skoog's (MS) medium MS + IAA + BA + 2, 4-D (0.5 ppm + 1 ppm + 0.5 ppm). The concentrations of the abiotic elicitors MJ and CD were optimized using central composite design (CCD) and quantification of TA and TX in elicited cultures was done by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis.ResultIt was observed that MJ at a concentration of 0.2 mM showed good increase in content of TX to 0.032% w/w and at concentrations 0.05 mM, 0.1 mM and 0.2 mM showed similar increase in TA content to 0.018% w/w, whereas CD at the concentration of 25 mM showed highest increase in TX content to 0.036% w/w and at the concentrations of 25 mM, 50 mM showed increase in TA content to 0.023% w/w as compared to the plant root (PR) which showed content of TX as 0.0299% w/w and TA as 0.0169% w/w.Discussion and conclusionFrom the present investigation it was concluded that out of the two abiotic elicitors MJ and CD, CD was found to be more effective to increase TA and TX content in Dandelion cell cultures.

Graphical abstracta: Plant; b: Preparation of fresh seedlings; c: Root callus preparation; d: Quantification and estimation of TA and TX in Dandelion cultures (low yield); e: Selection of elicitors; f: Optimization of elicitors; g, i: Exposure of cultures against elicitors; h, j: Quantification and estimation of TA and TX in elicited Dandelion cultures (high yield).Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide