Increased production of withanolide A, withanone, and withaferin A in hairy root cultures of Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal elicited with methyl jasmonate and salicylic acid

Withania somnifera, an important medicinal plant that possesses a variety of bioactive secondary metabolites collectively known as withanolides. Hairy roots with an initial inoculum mass of 5 g FW were elicited separately with methyl jasmonate (MeJ) and salicylic acid (SA) at various concentrations for different exposure times after 30 days of culture. Enhanced production of biomass (32.68 g FW and 5.54 g DW; 1.23-fold higher), withanolide A (132.44 mg/g DW; 58-fold higher), withanone (84.35 mg/g DW; 46-fold higher), and withaferin A (70.72 mg/g DW; 42-fold higher) were achieved from 40 day-old harvested hairy roots elicited with 150 μM SA for 4 h exposure time. The present study reports a higher production of withanolide A, withanone and withaferin A from the elicited-hairy roots of W. somnifera under optimal inoculum mass, harvest time, elicitor exposure time and its concentration. These results will be useful for biochemical and bioprocess engineering for the viable production of withanolides in hairy root culture.