Effect of Methyl Jasmonate on Thymol, Carvacrol, Phytochemical Accumulation, and Expression of Key Genes Involved in Thymol/Carvacrol Biosynthetic Pathway in Some Iranian Thyme Species.

Farzad Kianersi,Peter Poczai,Mohammad Majdi,Alireza Pour-Aboughadareh

doi:10.3390/ijms222011124

Abstract

Thyme species are a good source of thymol and carvacrol, which play a key role in controlling diseases. For the first time, the expression patterns of γ-terpinene synthase (TPS2), CYP71D178, and CYP71D180 genes and the amount of phenolics compounds were evaluated in T. migricus and T. daenensis after different methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatments. The highest thymol and carvacrol contents were observed in T. migricus (86.27%) and T. daenensis (17.87%) at MeJA 100 µM, which was consistent with the expression patterns of the three investigated genes. All species treated showed high total phenolic and flavonoid content compared to control plants for which the highest amounts were observed in T. vulgaris treated with 100 µM and 10 µM MeJA. Furthermore, in the 100 µM MeJA treatment, the relative expression of TPS2 and CYP71D178 in T. migricus increased 7.47 and 9.86-fold compared with the control, respectively. The highest level of CYP71D180 transcripts (5.15-fold) was also observed for T. daenensis treated. This finding highlights the notion that thymol was known as the dominant component of the essential oil rather than carvacrol in diffident thyme species. This implies that MeJA at different concentrations influenced metabolic pathways and induced expression changes, resulting in a rise in essential oil levels.

Highlights

Thymus (Thymus spp.) is a perennial evergreen aromatic plant in the Lamiaceae family that is grown in many countries for its therapeutic properties, for example as an antioxidant, antimicrobial, or anti-inflammatory [1,2,3]
Our findings indicate that methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatments may significantly increase the amount of thymol/carvacrol present in different species of thymus, and that the gene expression patterns of thymol/carvacrol biosynthesis-related genes are influenced by these elicitors
Our findings indicate that MeJA treatments may significantly increase the amount of thymol/carvacrol present in different species of thymus, and that the gene expression patterns of thymo8l/ocfa1r4vacrol biosynthesis-related genes are influenced by these elicitors

Summary

Introduction

Thymus (Thymus spp.) is a perennial evergreen aromatic plant in the Lamiaceae family that is grown in many countries for its therapeutic properties, for example as an antioxidant, antimicrobial, or anti-inflammatory [1,2,3]. The major ingredients in thyme essential oils are thymol and carvacrol, which is a phenol monoterpenes derivative with pharmacological properties such as anti-metastatic activity, anti-oxidative, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory [4,5]. Due to the excellent quality of the essential oil (EO) derived from its aerial portions, certain Thymus species have been discovered for medicinal, food, and cosmetic uses [6]. T. migricus is a perennial plant with pinkish blooms that belongs to the section Kotschyani and is one of the endemic species cultivated in Iran. It is a well-known fragrant plant in northwest Iran, where it is frequently used for herbal tea and as a flavoring ingredient [7]. Members of the genus Thymus L. are recognized for their therapeutic qualities, which include antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiviral (T. vulgaris L.), and antifungal (T. daenensis Celak.) capabilities [2,5,6,8]

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Conclusion