Genetic improvement of Centella asiatica L. for high yields of asiaticoside

Centella asiatica (L) Urban (Family: Apiaceae) is a valuable medicinal plant, widely used in healing of wounds and as a brain tonic. Asiaticoside, a trisaccharide triterpene, is the most active compound in this plant that has been associated with the healing of wounds and duodenal ulcers. In the present investigation, attempts were made to improve the genotype of C. asiatica for higher yield of asiaticoside, employing the techniques of polyploidy breeding. Young developing shoots of C. asiatica were treated with saturated paradichlorobenzene (pDB) for varying time intervals. It was found that treatment with this antimitotic agent for 6 hours was effective in inducing autotetraploidy in this plant. The chromosomes counts have confirmed the ploidy of the plants. The autotetraploids were grown in the field for about 7 generations and compared with the control plants for morphometric traits and asiaticoside contents. The autotetraploids of C. asiatica showed vigorous growth, broad leaves, statistically significant increase in overall size of the plant and increase in fresh and dry weights. HPTLC analysis of dried leaf powder of control and autotetraploid plants, after 7^th generation, revealed that the autotetraploids produced double the amount of asiaticoside as compared to the control plants.