title: Biotechnology of the medicinal plant Rhazya stricta: a little investigated member of the Apocynaceae family.
abstract: Rhazya stricta Decne. (Apocynaceae) is an important medicinal plant that is widely distributed in the Middle East and Indian sub-continent. It produces a large number of terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIAs) some of which possess important pharmacological properties. However, the yields of these compounds are very low. Establishment of a reliable, reproducible and efficient transformation method and induction of hairy roots system is a vital prerequisite for application of biotechnology in order to improve secondary metabolite yields. In the present review, recent biotechnological attempts and advances in TIAs production through transformed hairy root cultures in R. stricta are reviewed to draw the attention to its metabolic engineering potential.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Turku, Vatselankatu 2, 20014, Turku, Finland. amir.akhgari@utu.fi.
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Akhgari
authors.affiliation: VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., Tietotie 2, P.O. Box 1000, 02044, Espoo, Finland.
authors.forename: Kirsi-Marja
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Oksman-Caldentey
authors.affiliation: VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., Tietotie 2, P.O. Box 1000, 02044, Espoo, Finland.
authors.forename: Heiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rischer
mesh_terms: D060054:Agrobacterium / Q000235:genetics; D029062:Apocynaceae / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001709:Biotechnology; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D046948:Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D046509:Tissue Culture Techniques; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D046948:Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids
keywords: Agrobacterium rhizogenes; Hairy roots; Medicinal plant; Plant secondary metabolites; Rhazya stricta; Terpenoid indole alkaloids; Transgenic roots