Colchicine production from colchicum and the role of in vitro cultures : a review

Abstract EN

In vitro production of naturally-occurring medicinally-important secondary metabolites from plants using callus or cell suspension culture has become an industrially promising project.

In vitro production of secondary metabolites has many advantages : i) year-round availability of plant material for the production of functional Phytomolecules ; ii) better avenues for processing and isolation; iii) the possibility of accentuation of chemical reactions leading to other useful secondary metabolites under in vitro conditions; and iv) elimination of potential political and geographical boundaries against crop production.

(-)-Colchicine is one of the most important and well-studied natural compounds.

It occurs mainly in plant species belonging to the genus Colchicum.

(-)- Colchicine is still in use today as a pharmaceutical agent and as a laboratory tool.

Because of the difficulties in seed germination, young corms are used in the propagation of different Colchicum species.

(-)-Colchicine was produced via tissue culture from calluses and cell suspensions of different Colchicum and Gloriosa species.