Productivity of L-DOPA in in vitro shoots of Mucuna pruriens var. utilis enhanced by gamma radiation

Abstract

This research aimed to study the ability to produce levodopa (L-DOPA) in an in vitro shoot culture of Mucuna pruriens var. utilis developed from gamma-irradiated seeds, to be used as an alternative method for producing L-DOPA. A ultraperformance liquid chromatography system was used for L-DOPA quantifcation. The method was validated and it revealed good sensitivity, specifcity, precision, and accuracy. Irradiation of the seeds at a 200–500 Gy gamma dose exhibited the median lethal dose at 336.75 Gy. The shoots developed from seeds germinated after irradiation with 200 and 300 Gy gamma dose produced L-DOPA at levels 300% and 220% higher than the nonirradiated group, respectively, whereas the shoot formation was unsuccessful when the radiation increased to 400 and 500 Gy. The results demonstrated that irradiation of the seeds at 200 and 300 Gy gamma can be used to produce in vitro shoots for L-DOPA production. © 2020. All Rights Reserved.