Stimulation of the production of hypericins in in vitro seedlings of Hypericum adenotrichum by some biotic elicitors

Authors: ÖMER YAMANER, BENGİ ERDAĞ, CENGİZ GÖKBULUT

Abstract: The goal of this work was to study the stimulating effects of mannan and pectin on the biosynthesis of hypericins in in vitro seedlings of Hypericum adenotrichum Spach. Seedlings of H. adenotrichum were grown on a modified MS medium containing mannan (10, 50, and 100 mg/L) or pectin (10, 50, and 100 mg/L) for 15 and 30 days. Seedlings of H. adenotrichum were extracted with methanol. The methanol extracts of the seedlings were analysed by HPLC to investigate the changes in hypericin and pseudohypericin levels. The best results were obtained by exposure to 50 mg/L mannan or pectin for 15 days. Mannan stimulated pseudohypericin production up to 2.8-fold and hypericin production up to 1.7-fold. Pectin stimulated pseudohypericin production up to 4.8-fold and hypericin production up to 2.7-fold. The increases in hypericins in response to mannan and pectin demonstrate that these elicitors can be evaluated for production of secondary metabolites in Hypericum species.

Keywords: Hypericum adenotrichum, elicitor, hypericins, mannan, pectin, in vitro

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