Abstract
Gymnema sylvestre (Asclepiadacea) is an important medicinal plant that bears bioactive compound namely gymnemic acid. (Gymnemic acid, a group of complex triterpenic glycosides were reported to be responsible for the antidiabetic action). Gymnemagenin is a common aglycone of gymnemic acids that can be produced after acidic and basic hydrolysis. The present work deals with the optimization of a cell suspension culture system of Gymnema sylvestre for the production of biomass and gymnemagenin. This alternative method used for increasing the production of secondary metabolites such as gymnemagenin. In a similar attempt the present study was carried out to initiate callus cultures and established the suspension culture from G. sylvestre and evaluates further strategies to improve the production of gymnemagenin. The leaves of G. sylvestre were incubated in MS medium supplemented with different combinations of growth hormones. MS medium containing 6BA (0.5 ppm) +IAA (1.5 ppm) was found to yield good friable callus. The pooled callus was extracted and observed for the presence of gymnemagenin. The identification was done by HPTLC and HPLC by using the standard sample gymnemagenin. It was found that the gymnemagenin producible callus was 1.2 fold more than the intact plant.