ELUCIDATION OF METABOLIC PATHWAY FOR EXPRESSION OF SAFFRON GENES INVOLVED IN BIOSYNTHESIS OF CROCIN AND SAFRANAL USING TOBACCO AS A MODEL SYSTEM
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Date
2019
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY B. A. COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE ANAND AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY ANAND
Abstract
Value addition is the key aspect for improving the quality of agriculturally important
crops and metabolic engineering has become a very important approach for such
modification. Present investigation was carried out for elucidating metabolic pathway for
expression of saffron genes involved in biosynthesis of crocin and safranal using tobacco as
a model system. Saffron (Crocus sativus) stigmas and style contain vital metabolites such as
crocin, crocetin, Picro crocin and safranal; which are known to have profound effect on
human health. Saffron, because of its colour and flavour principles and medicinal properties
such as anti-carcinogenic, anti-senescent is an important source of genes for quality
enhancement in crops through genetic engineering. Because of low production and limited
area of cultivation of saffron presently restricted to few districts of Kashmir Valley and high
cost of saffron has always been the item of adulteration. Therefore, transferring these traits
to the other crop will not only serves as a good option for additional income generation but
also reduce the adulteration of saffron with artificially coloured maize silk and petals of
florets of other plants such as safflower. In addition to this, the processing industry, food
industry, pharmaceutical and perfumery industry may also benefit from the technology as
more choices will be available for extraction of these quality metabolites from the
genetically transformed host plant tissues for varied uses.