Potentiating biosynthesis of the anticancer alkaloids vincristine and vinblastine in callus cultures of Catharanthus roseus

Catharanthus roseus is among the most important anticancer agents providing plants in the world. In the current study, vinca leaves were cultured on MS medium supplemented with 1.5 mg/L BAP and 1.5 mg/L 2,4D. The callus obtained was subcultured on 15 different combinations of growth hormones for 28 days. The callus extracts from different treatments were analyzed by HPLC with respect to the vincristine and vinblastine producing capacity in comparison to the wild plant. The biomass was maximized with growth hormone combinations 2,4D/NAA and IAA/NAA but the biosynthesis of alkaloids were minimized. Vincristine production was potentiated in almost all growth hormones combinations with Kin/IAA producing the highest concentration. However, vinblastine was potentiated in growth hormone combinations Kin/IAA, IAA/Gb, BAP/Gb and NAA/Gb only, with Kin/IAA showing the highest concentration of vinblastine. The main motivating result was the biosynthesis of the essential anticancer dimeric alkaloids, vincristine which was hardly detected in the wild plant and vinblastine which showed a 3.39-fold increase compared to the wild plant.