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Abstract:
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P rosea syn. Indica belong to the family of plumbaginaceae, is an
important medicinal plant, cultivated widely in India. The roots of these
plant are generally used for medicinal purposes mainly as diuretic,
germicidal, vessicant, and abortifacient. It is also used for anaemia,
diarrhea, leprosy and common wart. The bark of the root contains orange
yellow pigment named plumbagin, a crystalline substance, belongs to the
class of naphthoquinone. Its chemical structure is 5-hydroxy 2-methyl 1,4naphthoquinone. Apart from P rosea, P zeylanica, P europea, Drosera
and Drosophyllum also contains plumbagin. The most exploited source of
plumbagin is, of course, P. rosea roots. The roots contain O.9mg/ g D.Wt. of
plumbagin in the roots. These plants grow very slowly and the roots suitable
for plumbagin extraction can be obtained only after several years of growth.
The productivity of the plant is also rather poor. The focus of the present study was to develop alternative strategies to obtain plumbagin. The tissue culture of P rosea for micropropagation has been studied |