Substituting plant vegetative parts with callus cell extracts: Case study with Woodfordia fruticosa Kurz. – A potent ingredient in skin care formulations

Abstract Herbal pharmaceutical companies are dependent on plant parts which are used as raw materials in their products. The naturally available herbal raw material does not meet the demand of industries. This can lead to exploitation of nature and affect the biodiversity in various ways. In vitro plant micropropagation and conservation can be a successful alternative to minimize this environmental exploitation. Woodfordia fruticosa Kurz. (Lythraceae) is a plant endemic to India, known for its anti-aging benefits. Apical leaf explants were used to generate calli which was achieved in Murashige Skoog medium with 0.25 mg -l 2,4,5-T and 0.10 mg -l 6-BAP. Callus was sub cultured continuously for six months and retrieved every month for in vitro studies (WSC 1-WSC 6). Among them, WSC-3 (callus extract of third month) increased the collagen production by 60.67 ± 4.2% in human dermal fibroblasts (HDF). Collagen-I and elastin gene expression was increased in WSC-3 treated HDF. WSC-3 inhibited hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) induced cellular senescence in HDF. LC–MS analysis of WSC-3 upheld the presence of polyphenols like gallic acid, 1,2,3,4,6-pentagalloyl glucose, glucogallin, and other phytoconstituents. The results of the in vitro experiments were on par with the extracts obtained from flowers of W. fruticosa . IC 50 values in HDF showed that callus cell extract is non-toxic (IC 50 : > 1000 μg/ml) whereas, the flower extracts were moderately toxic (IC 50 278.25 ± 1.85 μg/ml). Woodfordia fruticosa callus extract is a potential ingredient for skin care formulations, can be a strong substitute to conventional flower extract and warrants further clinical studies.