Enhancement of in vitro production of tropane alkaloids and phenolic compounds in Hyoscyamus niger by culture types and elicitor treatments

Abstract

This research aimed to identify the influences of 24-epibrasinolide (EBL) and methyl jasmonate (MJ) applications on growth parameters and secondary metabolite syntheses in adventitious root and cell suspension cultures of Hyoscyamine niger. Therefore, EBL at different concentrations (0.5, 1, and 2 mg L− 1), individually and together with 1 mM MJ were implemented in root and cell suspension cultures. In root cultures, the optimum concentration for achieving the highest root growth parameters was found to be 2 mg L− 1 of EBL. On the other hand, in cell suspension cultures, the best cell growth was observed when 1 mg L− 1 of EBL was applied. In root cultures, the highest scopolamine and hyoscyamine amounts were obtained when 1 mM MJ was applied in combination with EBL at concentrations of 1 and 2 mg L− 1, respectively. In cell cultures, 2 mg L− 1 EBL for scopolamine and 0.5 mg L− 1 EBL for hyoscyamine were found to be the best among all applications. Compared to the control, elicitor applications also stimulated phenolic production in both roots and cells, depending on their combinations and concentrations. Additionally, it was also found that the metabolite production performance of adventitious roots was higher than that of cells. In conclusion, it was suggested that the use of MJ and EBL could be a promising strategy for enhancing the accumulation of scopolamine, hyoscyamine, and phenolic substances in root and cell cultures of H. niger.