Growth retardants stimulate guggulsterone production in the presence of fungal elicitor in fed-batch cultures of Commiphora wightii

Guggulsterone, a hypolipidemic natural agent, is produced in resin canals of the plant Commiphora wightii. In this study, the stimulatory effects of growth retardants [ALAR (N,N-dimethylaminosuccinamic acid) and CCC (chlormequat chloride)] and fungal elicitor on guggulsterone accumulation in cell cultures of C. wightii are reported. CCC at $1\;mg\;l^{-1}$ enhanced guggulsterone content (${\sim}123\;{\mu}g\;l^{-1})$ when added on the fifth day after inoculation, while ALAR at $2.5\;{\mu}g\;l^{-1}$ increased guggulsterone content (${\sim}116\;{\mu}g\;l^{-1}$) when added on the tenth day. In a two-stage fed-batch process, combined treatment with fungal elicitor and growth retardant caused a significant increase (${\sim}353\;{\mu}g\;l^{-1}$) in guggulsterone content in cell cultures after 17 days of growth. This represents an approximately fivefold increase over the guggulsterone contents in initial cultures of this plant.