Increased phenolic acid and tanshinone production and transcriptional responses of biosynthetic genes in hairy root cultures of Salvia przewalskii Maxim. treated with methyl jasmonate and salicylic acid.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to reveal the impact of the plant hormone salicylic acid (SA) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) on the growth, effective components accumulation, and related gene expression of the hairy root of Salvia przewalskii Maxim. Various concentrations of SA (0, 25, 50, 100, 200μM) or MeJA (0, 50, 100, 200, 400, 600μM) were added to the culture medium of Salvia przewalskii Maxim. Low concentrations of SA promoted the growth of hairy root, while a high concentration inhibited it. 0 to 400μM MeJA promoted the growth of hairy root, but 600μM MeJA starts to inhibit its growth. 50μM SA and 400μM MeJA significantly enhanced the production of caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, salvianolic acid B, cryptotanshinone, and tanshinone IIA. In general, 50μM SA can be used to accumulate of tanshinone in hairy roots of S. przewalskii with 6days. 400μM MeJA can be used to accumulate of phenolic acids in hairy roots of S. przewalskii with 3days. The selected genes in the tanshinone and phenolic acid biosynthetic pathway were upregulated with elicitation. To obtain a higher yield and content of secondary metabolites, it is advisable to use 50μM SA or 400μM MeJA as the optimal doses to cultivate the hairy root of S. przewalskii. This study provides, for the first time, an efficient tanshinone and phenolic acid production method for S. przewalskii.