Content of Ephedrine and Pseudoephedrine in Three Species of Ephedra In Vitro and In Vivo Conditions

Abstract

Ephedra is one of the phenomenal medicinal plants used in traditional medicine. The alkaloids – ephedrine and pseudoephedrine – are active constituents of this plant. It is proven that alkaloids are used as treatments for mild or chronic asthma, they are considered as stimulator of central nervous system and heart muscles, dilator of bronchial tubes and increaser of blood pressure. Several studies indicated synthesis variants of secondary metabolites such as antioxidant and antimicrobial activities in this plant. But undoubtedly the principal activity of extracts is still in its major alkaloids: l-ephedrine (Eph), dpseudoephedrine (Peph) and their isomers. Biotechnology technique such as plant cell culture is established from an impressive array of plant species which is directly related to the production of secondary metabolites for commercial purposes. Secondary compounds from the plant have been incorporated into a wide range of applications both commercial and industrial, and techniques can generate the same valuable natural products. But a common problem is that cultured cells produce only low levels of the desired chemicals or do not produce chemicals at all. Causes of this problem can be gene expression, pathway – regulation or precursor – availability levels. Due to this important problem it was theoretically suggested to select a species with highly desired secondary metabolite contents to produce a cell line with high impacts for industrial application.

Subsequently selected cell lines could be used in bioreactors for production of valuable pharmaceutical compounds such as ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. All tested species could produce callus on modified MS medium supplemented with 0.25 μM kinietin (Kin) and 5.0 μM 2.4-dichlorophenoxy acetic (2.4-D) or 1-naphtaleneacetic acid (NAA) but Host., subsp. (Fish. & Mey) achieved the highest biomass compared with the other tested species (O'Dowd, McCauley et al., 1993). This paper tries to compare three different species of in order to use them in industrial applications for ephedrine and pseudoephedrine.

Keywords: Ephedra, phytohormones, Callus culture, ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, secondary metabolites