Cell Suspensions of Cannabis sativa (var. Futura): Effect of Elicitation on Metabolite Content and Antioxidant Activity.

Damiano Gabotti,Franca Locatelli,Erica Cusano,Roberto Consonni,Annamaria Genga,Laura Pucci,Elena Baldoni,Monica Mattana

doi:10.3390/molecules24224056

Abstract

Cannabis sativa L. is one of the most-studied species for its phytochemistry due to the abundance of secondary metabolites, including cannabinoids, terpenes and phenolic compounds. In the last decade, fiber-type hemp varieties have received interest for the production of many specialized secondary metabolites derived from the phenylpropanoid pathway. The interest in these molecules is due to their antioxidant activity. Since secondary metabolite synthesis occurs at a very low level in plants, the aim of this study was to develop a strategy to increase the production of such compounds and to elucidate the biochemical pathways involved. Therefore, cell suspensions of industrial hemp (C. sativa L. var. Futura) were produced, and an advantageous elicitation strategy (methyl jasmonate, MeJA) in combination with precursor feeding (tyrosine, Tyr) was developed. The activity and expression of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT) increased upon treatment. Through 1H-NMR analyses, some aromatic compounds were identified, including, for the first time, 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate (4-HPP) in addition to tyrosol. The 4-day MeJA+Tyr elicited samples showed a 51% increase in the in vitro assay (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, DPPH) radical scavenging activity relative to the control and a 80% increase in the cellular antioxidant activity estimated on an ex vivo model of human erythrocytes. Our results outline the active metabolic pathways and the antioxidant properties of hemp cell extracts under the effect of specific elicitors.

Highlights

Cannabis sativa L. is one of the oldest plants known in medicine and as a fiber crop and one of the most studied species for its phytochemistry [1]
Several compounds were tested on cell suspensions obtained from the industrial hemp variety Futura to identify the best elicitor treatment that is able to induce secondary industrial hemp variety Futura to identify the best elicitor treatment that is able to induce secondary metabolism and to elucidate the metabolic pathways activated by the elicitation
The elicitors were metabolism and to elucidate the metabolic pathways activated by the elicitation

Summary

Introduction

Cannabis sativa L. is one of the oldest plants known in medicine and as a fiber crop and one of the most studied species for its phytochemistry [1]. There has been an emerging interest in the fiber-type varieties approved for commercial use by the European Union. These hemp plants produce many other specialized secondary metabolites that are directly or indirectly derived from the phenylpropanoid pathway [7,8]. The interest in these molecules is due to their bioactivities on human health, especially their antioxidant potential, and their ability to reduce some chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular and neurodegenerative problems [8]. The search for natural antioxidants to be used for other purposes, such as bioactive packaging, is a field that has been attracting great interest from the scientific community because of the lower toxicity and higher safety compared to synthetic antioxidants [9]

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