In vitro Production of Medicinally Potential Andrographolides from Andrographis Species

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Andrographis L. (Acanthaceae) is a vital genus that produces the most potential secondary metabolites, such as labdane diterpenoids called andrographolides. Pharmaceutical requirements for andrographolides are sustained through habitat collection and limited cultivation of Andrographis paniculata. However, in India, the genus is represented by about 26 species distributed in the southern Peninsula, most of which are endemic to the region. Commercial exploitation for andrographolide extraction is met with A. paniculata alone. The low rate of seed production in this plant and enormous variation in andrographolide content were found in the natural population. Tissue culture techniques help us to produce commercially viable andrographolides on a large scale. The present review analyzes the alternative sources of andrographolides from diverse species of Andrographis. Also, the review describes in vitro culture of callus and suspension cultures, the development of adventitious and hairy root cultures, the addition of biotic and abiotic elicitors for enhancing andrographolide production, and also the production of valuable compounds by utilizing bioreactors, Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, and genetic engineering for increasing biosynthesis of andrographolides.