Enhancing the commercial value of Desmodium gangeticum (L.) DC.: integration of traditional and biotechnological approaches

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DOI: 10.1007/s42535-026-01824-2
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Keywords: Salparni, Secondary metabolites, Phytochemicals, In vitro propagation, Hydroponics, Elicitation, Secondary metabolite enhancement, Ayurvedic pharmaceutics


Abstract


Desmodium gangeticum (“Salparni”) is a pharmacologically significant Ayurvedic plant rich in bioactive secondary metabolites. However, industrial up-scaling is hindered by an over reliance on wild populations and unoptimized cultivation workflows, while existing literature details its phytochemistry and pharmacology, a comprehensive framework integrating traditional applications with modern metabolic and culture optimization is lacking. This review addresses this gap by evaluating phytochemical; diversity, therapeutic applications, and advanced biotechnological cultivation strategies specifically in-vitro propagation, hydroponics, and elicitor-mediated secondary metabolite enhancement. Furthermore, the molecular and genetic mechanisms regulating gene expression and metabolic pathways that govern biomass and bioactive compound accumulation have been been emphasized. By providing actionable insights into scalable standardized production, the review outlines the development of reliable agro-industrial value chains to maximize the commercial and pharmacological potential of D. gangeticum.

Salparni, Secondary metabolites, Phytochemicals, In vitro propagation, Hydroponics, Elicitation, Secondary metabolite enhancement, Ayurvedic pharmaceutics


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Author Information


Laboratory of Morphogenesis Centre of Advance Study in Botany, Department of Botany, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, India