Background: Gloriosa Superba
produces an array of alkaloids including colchicine, a compound of interest in the treatment of various diseases. The
tuber of
Gloriosa superba is a rich source of colchicine which has shown anti-gout, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor activity. However, this
promising compound remains expensive and
Gloriosa superba is such a good source in global scale. Increase in yield of naturally occurring colchicine
is an important area of investigation.
Materials and Methods: The effects of inoculation by four arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM), fungi,
Glomus mossae
,
Glomus fasciculatum
,
Gigaspora
margarita
and
Gigaspora
gilmorei
either alone or supplemented with P-fertilizer, on colchicine concentration in
Gloriosa superba were studied. The
concentration of colchicine was determined by high-performance thin layer chromatography.
Results: The four fungi significantly increased concentration of colchicine in the herb. Although there was significant increase in concentration of
colchicine in non-mycorrhizal P-fertilized plants as compared to control, the extent of the increase was less compared to mycorrhizal plants grown
with or without P-fertilization. This suggests that the increase in colchicine concentration may not be entirely attributed to enhanced P-nutrition and
improved growth. Among the four AM fungi
Glomus mossae was found to be best. The total colchicine content of plant (mg / plant) was significantly
high in plants inoculated with
Glomus mossae and 25 mg kg
-1phosphorus fertilizer (348.9 mg /plant) while the control contain least colchicine
(177.87 mg / plant).
Conclusion: The study suggests a potential role of AM fungi in improving the concentration of colchicine in
Gloriosa superba tuber.
