Effects of phenylalanine and methyl jasmonate on verbascoside production in Buddleja cordata Kunth cell suspension cultures

Abstract

Buddleja cordata Kunth (Scrophulariaceae) is an important medicinal herb widespread in Mexico that produces diverse phenolic compounds; among others, the pharmacologically important phenylethanoid glycoside (PeG) verbascoside (VB, also named acteoside). This work describes the effects of the metabolic precursor, L-phenylalanine (L-Phe), and the elicitor, methyl jasmonate (MeJa), on biomass accumulation and VB production in a B. cordata cell-line under suspension culture conditions. Cultures were exogenously fed with different concentrations of the precursor and elicitor at the early and late stages of the exponential growth phase. Precursor or elicitor addition was most effective when added in the late-exponential phase. Cultures fed with 600 µM L-Phe reached the highest production of VB after a 10-day exposure time (1.96 g L−1, which was 130% higher than in control cultures). Maximum VB production after elicitation (4.8 g L−1, with an overall increase of 213% above control level) occurred with 50 µM MeJa after an exposure time of 48 h. VB production yields reported in this work exceed those of previously reported biotechnological efforts using cell suspension cultures and other in vitro systems to increase phenylethanoid glycosides production, especially, VB.