Vol. 11, Issue 6 (2022)

Author(s):
Darshana Patra

Abstract:
Tobacco is a cursed lucrative crop. India being the second largest producer of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), its most unlikely that due to its high revenue and foreign exchange earnings, government policy would discourage the farmers. The pyridine alkaloids nicotine, nornicotine reported in genus Nicotiana (3). The deadly linkage between tobaccoand cancers results from a robust combo of two agents - nicotine and carcinogens. Nicotine being present as the single most dominant (>90%) alkaloid is not carcinogenic. Nornicotine constituting around 5% of the entire pyridine alkaloid pool in tobacco, is a N-demethylated derivative of nicotine, concentrated in matured tobacco leafduring senescence and curing. In tobacco, nicotine N-demethylase enzymes (NND) belonging to the cytochrome P450 family (7) catalyse the conversion of nicotine to nornicotine, reducing tobacco quality and being detrimental for health. Therefore, the present investigation is envisaged for crop improvement of tobacco through promoter modification as per our research interest.