Page 87 - 2015-16
P. 87
CSIR-IHBT Annual Report 2015-16
OH NH2 H
OH HO N
H
HO O
OR1
OR2
OH H
Catechin Theanine
Pilot scale production technology of purification of catechins from tea shoots: In pilot scale
study, production of catechins was optimized at 40 kg fresh tea shoots per batch. An industry-
academia interface project has been sanctioned to the Institute in association with M/s. Baijnath
Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd. as industrial partner for up-gradation of catechins purification at 100 kg
fresh tea shoots per batch.
Studies on biotransformation of glutamine to theanine: More than 220 microbial isolates
collected from the tea rhizosphere were screened for enzymatic synthesis of L-theanine from
glutamine. Seven isolates showing high conversion to theanine (40-55%) were taken for further
optimization using different parameters (temperature, pH, substrate concentration etc.).
Chemical profiling of purple tea shoots: Cyanidin-3-glucoside, cyanidin-3-O-β-D-(6-
(E)coumaroyl) glucopyranoside, delphinidin-3-O-β-D-(6-(E)-coumaroyl)-glucopyranoside and
cyanidin-3-O-(2-O-β-xylopyranosyl-6-O-acetyl)-β-glucopyranoside were the anthocyanins
characterized from purple tea shoots by comparing their MS data with published data.
Anthocyanin biosynthesis in plants takes place via phenyl propanoid pathway and controlled by
the transcription level of corresponding genes. Therefore, expression of five genes encoding
anthocyanidin reductase (CsANR), dihydroflavonol-4-reductase (CsDFR), anthocyanidin
synthase (CsANS), flavonol synthase (CsFLS) and leucoanthocyanidin reductase (CsLAR) was
analyzed in both the normal and purple coloured cultivars growing in Kangra valley. The
expressions of CsDFR, CsANR, CsANS were upregulated, while CsFLS and CsLAR genes of
anthocyanin biosynthesis were downregulated in purple coloured tea shoots as compared to
normal tea shoots.
Detection of organic acids produced by plant growth promoting rhizobacteria from tea
rhizosphere: Phosphorous is an essential macronutrient available in soil. Soils contain
approximately 95-99% of total phosphorous. But most of the phosphorous occurs in insoluble
form as Fe and Al phosphates in acidic soils and Ca phosphate in alkaline soils. Several
rhizobacteria possess the ability to solubilize insoluble inorganic phosphate and make it available
to plants. Abudance of aluminium and iron in tea soils makes phosphorus unavailable to the plants
by forming insoluble free oxides and hydroxides of Al and Fe which are known to fix phosphorus.
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