• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.9-13
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• 2010

Guggulsterone, a hypolipidemic natural agent, is produced in resin canals of the plant Commiphora wightii. In this study, the stimulatory effects of growth retardants [ALAR (N,N-dimethylaminosuccinamic acid) and CCC (chlormequat chloride)] and fungal elicitor on guggulsterone accumulation in cell cultures of C. wightii are reported. CCC at $1\;mg\;l^{-1}$ enhanced guggulsterone content (${\sim}123\;{\mu}g\;l^{-1})$ when added on the fifth day after inoculation, while ALAR at $2.5\;{\mu}g\;l^{-1}$ increased guggulsterone content (${\sim}116\;{\mu}g\;l^{-1}$) when added on the tenth day. In a two-stage fed-batch process, combined treatment with fungal elicitor and growth retardant caused a significant increase (${\sim}353\;{\mu}g\;l^{-1}$) in guggulsterone content in cell cultures after 17 days of growth. This represents an approximately fivefold increase over the guggulsterone contents in initial cultures of this plant.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.133-136
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• 2008

Cell cultures of Commiphora wightii (Arnott.) Bhandari were grown in shake flasks and a bioreactor and an increase in guggulsterone accumulation up to $18{\mu}g\;l^{-1}$ was recorded in cells grown in the production medium containing a combination of sucrose:glucose (4% total), precursors (phenylalanine, pyruvic acid, xylose, and sodium acetate), morphactin, and 2iP. A yield of $10g\;l^{-1}$ biomass and ${\sim}200{\mu}g\;l^{-1}$ guggulsterone was recorded in a 3-l flask and in a 2-l stirred tank bioreactor compared with 6.6 g biomass and $67{\mu}g\;l^{-1}$ guggulsterone in 250-ml flasks. Increased vessel size was correlated with increased biomass and guggulsterone accumulation. 2iP alone was not effective for biomass and guggulsterone accumulation in cell cultures of C. wightii.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.1294-1298
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• 2008

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) induce innate immune responses recognizing conserved microbial structural molecules. All TLR signaling pathways culminate in the activation of nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ (NF-${\kappa}B$). The activation of NF-${\kappa}B$ leads to the induction of inflammatory gene products such as cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Guggul has been used for centuries to treat a variety of diseases. Guggulstreone, one of the active ingredients in guggul, has been used to treat many chronic diseases. However, the mechanism as to how guggulsterone mediate the health effects is largely unknown. Here, we report biochemical evidence that guggulsterone inhibits the NF-${\kappa}B$ activation and COX-2 expression induced by TLR2, TLR3, and TLR4 agonists. Guggulsterone also inhibits the NF-${\kappa}B$ activation induced by downstream signaling components of TLRs, myeloid differential factor 88 (MyD88), $I{\kappa}B$ kinase ${\beta}$ ($IKK{\beta}$), and p65. These results imply that guggulsterone can modulate the immune responses regulated by TLR signaling pathways.