Preliminary Phytochemical Analysis and Evaluation of the Biological Activity of Leonotis nepetifolia (L.) R. Br Transformed Roots Extracts Obtained through Rhizobium rhizogenes-Mediated Transformation.

Anna Merecz-Sadowska,Tomasz Kowalczyk,Tomasz Śliwiński,Przemysław Sitarek,Laurent Picot,Marzena Wielanek,Vera M. S. Isca,Patricia Rijo

doi:10.3390/cells10051242

Abstract

According to the present knowledge, this is the first report on establishing transformed root cultures of Leonotis nepetifolia after Rhizobium rhizogenes-mediated transformation. The preliminary phytochemical analysis showed differences in the content of phenols and flavonoids in transformed and nontransformed roots. The dominant compounds in the analyzed extracts were (+)-catechin (5464 and 6808 µg/g DW), p-coumaric acid (2549 and 4907 µg/g DW), m-coumaric acid (1508 and 2048 µg/g DW) and rosmarinic acid (1844 and 2643 µg/g DW) for nontransformed (LNNR) and transformed (LNTR4) roots, respectively. Initial biological studies carried out on LNNR, and LNTR4 extracts showed a cytotoxic effect on the A549 lung, HCC1937 breast and leukemia NALM-6 cell lines, antioxidants, as well as repair and protection against DNA damage induced by H2O2 in HUVEC cells. Due to the stronger effect of the LNTR4 root extract, which can be a relatively efficient and cheap source of bioactive secondary metabolites, further biological analyses are needed to discover in detail their potentially valuable biological properties.

Highlights

Plant tissue cultures are used in biotechnology as a potential source for the production of useful secondary metabolites
Hairy roots are currently an extremely popular model among plant tissue cultures due to their unlimited and rapid growth compared to nontransformed roots, genetic stability, and the ability to synthesize a wide spectrum of biologically active compounds
It is known that the hairy roots of some plant species can produce completely new secondary metabolites, which are not found in nontransformed plants and, offer the possibility of discovering entirely new biological properties

Summary

Introduction

Plant tissue cultures are used in biotechnology as a potential source for the production of useful secondary metabolites Thanks to this technique, it is often possible to increase the synthesis and accumulation of valuable secondary metabolites and to create optimal conditions for growth and development, independent of geographic and climatic factors and without harmful interference to the natural environment [1,2]. Hairy roots are currently an extremely popular model among plant tissue cultures due to their unlimited and rapid growth compared to nontransformed roots, genetic stability, and the ability to synthesize a wide spectrum of biologically active compounds. For these reasons, they can be used to produce commercially valuable products even on a large scale [3]. Our earlier studies showed a positive transformation effect and produced different clones of Leonurus sibiricus L. hairy roots with increased production of phenolic acids [10,11]

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Discussion

Conclusion