Accumulation of vasicine and vasicinone in tissue cultures of Adhatoda vasica and evaluation of the free radical-scavenging activities of the various crude extracts

The indigenous medicinal plant, Adhatoda vasica (L.) Nees. (Acanthaceae), commonly known as vasaka, is used as a herbal remedy for allergen-induced bronchial obstruction, asthma, and tuberculosis and possesses hepatoprotective activity. This plant is a natural source of vitamin C. Tissue cultures of A. vasica, initiated on Murashige and Skoog’s medium supplemented with various plant growth regulators, showed the presence of alkaloids, vasicine and vasicinone. Water extracts of shoot cultures contained high levels of these alkaloids. The vasicine and vasicinone contents in these extracts were 5.98% and 5.2% of dry weight and the water extracts of the selected elite parent plant contained 3–4% dry weight of vasicine. The methanolic extracts of the parent plant and shoot cultures showed quantitative differences in the level of both vasicine and vasicinone. Maximum free radical-scavenging activity of DPPH radicals was observed in the water extracts.