Chapter 1
Elicitor Signal Transduction Leading
to the Production of Plant Secondary
Metabolites
Supriyo Saha and Dilipkumar Pal
Abstract Plant metabolites are highly effective as medicine with a higher efficacy
and lower adverse effect. Two basic metabolites are obtained from nature, namely
primary metabolites and secondary metabolites. Alkaloids, glycosides, terpenoids,
flavonoids are the principal secondary metabolites, and also the primary source for
the drug discovery and development. Elicitors are the substances which under stress
conditions induce the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites of plants. Both biotic
and abiotic elicitors are used in the process. Most common secondary metabolites
Ferulic acid, cinnamic acid, vanillin, coumaric acid, silymarin, affinin, hypocrellin
A, steroiside, menthone, piperitone, glycyrrhizic acid, colchicine, thiocolchicoside,
phenolic acid, gymnemic acid, flavonoids are utilized the elicitation technique.
Elicitors are two types such as: abiotic and biotic. Abiotic elicitors such as salicylic
acid, methyl jasmonate, hydrogen peroxide, lanthanum, different hormones, light,
gamma rays and controlled temperature are used to generate secondary metabolites
of wheat grass, Thymus vulgaris, Silybum marianum, Shiraia bambusicola, Ajuga
bracteosa, broccoli plant, etc. Biotic elicitors like chitosan, rhizobacteria,
Rhizobium leguminosum, Aspergillus tenius, Agrobacterium tumefacians, carrageenan, Streptomyces, Rhizopus, dextran, yeast are used to develop or improvise
secondary metabolites of Khus, Mentha pulegium, Tavernia cuneifolia, chickpea, -
Vitis vinifera, Rumex gmelini Turcz, Cupressus lusitanica, etc. Some secondary
metabolites of Coleus aromaticus Benth, Rhododendron tomentosum, Fagonia
indica, Rauwolfia serpentine, Solanum khasianum, Ocimum tenuiflorum, Stevia
rebaudiana etc. are used both abiotic and biotic elicitors.
Keywords Secondary metabolites Á Abiotic elicitor Á Biotic elicitor Á Phenolic
compounds Á Silymarin Á Affinin Á Hypocrellin A
S. Saha (&)
School of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Technology, Sardar Bhagwan Singh University,
Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248161, India
e-mail: supriyo9@gmail.com
D. Pal
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya (A Central
University), Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh 495009, India
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
D. Pal and A. K. Nayak (eds.), Bioactive Natural Products
for Pharmaceutical Applications, Advanced Structured Materials 140,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-54027-2_1
1
Elicitor Signal Transduction Leading
to the Production of Plant Secondary
Metabolites
Supriyo Saha and Dilipkumar Pal
Abstract Plant metabolites are highly effective as medicine with a higher efficacy
and lower adverse effect. Two basic metabolites are obtained from nature, namely
primary metabolites and secondary metabolites. Alkaloids, glycosides, terpenoids,
flavonoids are the principal secondary metabolites, and also the primary source for
the drug discovery and development. Elicitors are the substances which under stress
conditions induce the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites of plants. Both biotic
and abiotic elicitors are used in the process. Most common secondary metabolites
Ferulic acid, cinnamic acid, vanillin, coumaric acid, silymarin, affinin, hypocrellin
A, steroiside, menthone, piperitone, glycyrrhizic acid, colchicine, thiocolchicoside,
phenolic acid, gymnemic acid, flavonoids are utilized the elicitation technique.
Elicitors are two types such as: abiotic and biotic. Abiotic elicitors such as salicylic
acid, methyl jasmonate, hydrogen peroxide, lanthanum, different hormones, light,
gamma rays and controlled temperature are used to generate secondary metabolites
of wheat grass, Thymus vulgaris, Silybum marianum, Shiraia bambusicola, Ajuga
bracteosa, broccoli plant, etc. Biotic elicitors like chitosan, rhizobacteria,
Rhizobium leguminosum, Aspergillus tenius, Agrobacterium tumefacians, carrageenan, Streptomyces, Rhizopus, dextran, yeast are used to develop or improvise
secondary metabolites of Khus, Mentha pulegium, Tavernia cuneifolia, chickpea, -
Vitis vinifera, Rumex gmelini Turcz, Cupressus lusitanica, etc. Some secondary
metabolites of Coleus aromaticus Benth, Rhododendron tomentosum, Fagonia
indica, Rauwolfia serpentine, Solanum khasianum, Ocimum tenuiflorum, Stevia
rebaudiana etc. are used both abiotic and biotic elicitors.
Keywords Secondary metabolites Á Abiotic elicitor Á Biotic elicitor Á Phenolic
compounds Á Silymarin Á Affinin Á Hypocrellin A
S. Saha (&)
School of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Technology, Sardar Bhagwan Singh University,
Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248161, India
e-mail: supriyo9@gmail.com
D. Pal
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya (A Central
University), Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh 495009, India
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
D. Pal and A. K. Nayak (eds.), Bioactive Natural Products
for Pharmaceutical Applications, Advanced Structured Materials 140,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-54027-2_1
1