Enhancing Withanolide Production in the <i>Withania</i> Species: Advances in In Vitro Culture and Synthetic Biology Approaches
Zishan Ahmad,
Shareen,
Irfan Bashir Ganie,
Fatima Firdaus,
Muthusamy Ramakrishnan,
Anwar Shahzad,
Yulong Ding
Affiliations
Zishan Ahmad
State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Co-Innovation Centre for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Bamboo Research Institute, Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Subtropical Forest Biodiversity Conservation, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
Shareen
Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
Irfan Bashir Ganie
Department of Botany, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
Fatima Firdaus
Chemistry Department, Lucknow University, Lucknow 226007, India
Muthusamy Ramakrishnan
State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Co-Innovation Centre for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Bamboo Research Institute, Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Subtropical Forest Biodiversity Conservation, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
Anwar Shahzad
Department of Botany, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
Yulong Ding
State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Co-Innovation Centre for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Bamboo Research Institute, Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Subtropical Forest Biodiversity Conservation, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
Withanolides are naturally occurring steroidal lactones found in certain species of the Withania genus, especially Withania somnifera (commonly known as Ashwagandha). These compounds have gained considerable attention due to their wide range of therapeutic properties and potential applications in modern medicine. To meet the rapidly growing demand for withanolides, innovative approaches such as in vitro culture techniques and synthetic biology offer promising solutions. In recent years, synthetic biology has enabled the production of engineered withanolides using heterologous systems, such as yeast and bacteria. Additionally, in vitro methods like cell suspension culture and hairy root culture have been employed to enhance withanolide production. Nevertheless, one of the primary obstacles to increasing the production of withanolides using these techniques has been the intricacy of the biosynthetic pathways for withanolides. The present article examines new developments in withanolide production through in vitro culture. A comprehensive summary of viable traditional methods for producing withanolide is also provided. The development of withanolide production in heterologous systems is examined and emphasized. The use of machine learning as a potent tool to model and improve the bioprocesses involved in the generation of withanolide is then discussed. In addition, the control and modification of the withanolide biosynthesis pathway by metabolic engineering mediated by CRISPR are discussed.
