Stimulatory synthesis of saponin by mycorrhizal fungi in safed musli (Chlorophytum borivilianum) tubers
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Chlorophytum borivilianum Santapau and Fernandes, popularly known as safed musli is an important medicinal plants due to its aphrodisiac properties (Singh and Chauhan, 2003). Chlorophytum borivilianum is the most commercially exploited and widely growing species. It is widely used as a general health promotive tonic, for various gynecological disorders, arthritic conditions and to control diabetes mellitus (Purohit and Prajapati, 2003). The tubers are rich in alkaloids, vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, saponins, polysaccharides and steroids (Raghavendra et al., 2005). Roots of the plant are used both in antiviral (Siddiqui, 2005), anticancer (Arif, 2005), immunomodulatory (Singh et al., 2004), antidiabetic (Govindrajan et al., 2005), antistress (Gopalkrishna and Patil, 2006), aphrodisiac (Thakur and Dixit, 2006), antimicrobial (Deore and Khadabadi, 2007) and anti-inflammatory (Deore and Khadabadi, 2008). Arbuscular mycorrhizae can colonize the roots of most vascular plants and can develop a complex system of extraradical hypae under natural conditions.