Immobilization mediated enhancement of phyllanthin and hypophyllanthin from Phyllanthus amarus

Phyllanthus amarus plant is used in the traditional system of medicine as a hepatoprotective drug for which the major lignans phyllanthin and hypophyllanthin are responsible. So far, no significant work has been done on the culture of this plant. Realizing the hepatoprotective potential, the present investigation was undertaken. A cost effective process was developed for enhancing phyllanthin and hypophyllanthin utilizing the immobilization technique. HPTLC was used to compare the phyllanthin and hypophyllanthin contents in calcium alginate immobilized cells obtained from fresh grown plants and MS medium was supplemented with different abiotic elicitors, under aseptic conditions for the treatment with chitosan, copper sulphate, phenylalanine and silver nitrate solution to make the whole process commercially viable. It was revealed that silver nitrate and phenylalanine at low concentration enhances phyllanthin and hypophyllanthin yield as compared to control immobilized cell culture. The study revealed that an increase in the content of phyllanthin and hypophyllanthin was elicitor concentration dependent and silver nitrate treatment gave a maximum yield of hepatoprotective bioactives as compared to the other abiotic elicitors used.