Biotechnological Approaches for Biomass and Cardenolide Production in Digitalis purpurea L.
Digitalis purpurea L. is one of the main economically viable sources of cardenolides (cardiac glycosides) for the pharmaceutical industry. Nevertheless, production of cardenolides in plants grown by traditional agriculture is not always an efficient process and can be affected by biotic and abiotic factors. This chapter provides two biotechnology strategies for biomass and cardenolide production in D. purpurea. Firstly, we report biomass production using a temporary immersion system (TIS), combined with cardenolide extraction and quantification. Secondly, an efficient protocol for genetic transformation via Agrobacterium tumefaciens is provided. These strategies can be used independently or combined in order to increase the content of cardiac glycosides in D. purpurea and to unravel biosynthetic pathways associated to cardiac glycoside production.
Instituto de Biotecnología de las Plantas, Universidad Central "Marta Abreu" de Las Villas, Carretera a Camajuaní km 5,5, CP 54830, Santa Clara, Villa Clara, Cuba. naivy@ibp.co.cu.
Naivy
N
Pérez-Alonso
Instituto de Biotecnología de las Plantas, Universidad Central "Marta Abreu" de Las Villas, Carretera a Camajuaní km 5,5, CP 54830, Santa Clara, Villa Clara, Cuba.|Laboratory of Plant Genetics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, 1050, Belgium.
Borys
B
Chong-Pérez
Instituto de Biotecnología de las Plantas, Universidad Central "Marta Abreu" de Las Villas, Carretera a Camajuaní km 5,5, CP 54830, Santa Clara, Villa Clara, Cuba.
Alina
A
Capote
Instituto de Biotecnología de las Plantas, Universidad Central "Marta Abreu" de Las Villas, Carretera a Camajuaní km 5,5, CP 54830, Santa Clara, Villa Clara, Cuba.
Anabel
A
Pérez
VITA 34 AG, Deutscher Platz 5a, Leipzig, D-04103, Germany.
André
A
Gerth
Laboratory of Plant Genetics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, 1050, Belgium.
Geert
G
Angenon
Instituto de Biotecnología de las Plantas, Universidad Central "Marta Abreu" de Las Villas, Carretera a Camajuaní km 5,5, CP 54830, Santa Clara, Villa Clara, Cuba.|Tropical Research and Education Center, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, 18905 SW 280th Street, Homestead, FL, 33031, USA.
Elio
E
Jiménez
D016960:Agrobacterium tumefaciens / Q000235:genetics; D018533:Biomass; D053898:Biosynthetic Pathways; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D002298:Cardenolides / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D004070:Digitalis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D004867:Equipment Design; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
D002298:Cardenolides
Cardenolides; Foxglove; Genetic transformation; Secondary metabolites; Temporary immersion system