A Review on In vitro Culture of Cassia alata Linn. (Senna alata): Analysis of Metabolites and Biological Activities

The modern biotechnological approaches provide an alternative solution for the mass propagation and conservation of genetic diversity as well as production of medicinal compounds in vitro. In traditional medicine Cassia species have been well known for their laxative and purgative properties and for the treatment of skin diseases and continue to invite attention of researchers worldwide for their phytochemistry and pharmacological activities ranging from anti-diabetic to antiviral. All Cassia species are rich sources of secondary metabolites, notably anthraquinone derivatives, and have been used in Chinese and Ayurvedic preparations. Cassia alata is among more than 500 known species of genus Cassia, it is a native of South America and can be found widely in tropical regions. This paper reviews different strategies of plant tissue culture, namely direct regeneration and indirect organogenesis used for the micropropagation and conservation of C. alata. The study also includes different methods of analysis and extraction of important metabolites like HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography) and spectrophotometric method, as well as approaches of Agrobacterium rhizogenes mediated hairy root culture applied for the production of Sennosides A and B in C. alata along with their biological activities for different microbes such as bacteria (Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Vibrio cholera, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella typhi, etc.) and fungi (Microsporum gypseum, M. canis, Trichophyton rubrum, T. jirrucosum, T. mentagrophytes, Penicillium marneffei, Epidermophyton jloccosum Aspergillus niger, A. flavus, Candida albicans etc.)