Salicylic acid-enhanced biosynthesis of pharmacologically important lignans and neo lignans in cell suspension culture of Linum ussitatsimum L.

Abstract

Linum usitatsimum L. (flax) is a perennial herb with magnitude of medicinal and commercial applications. In the present study, we investigated the effects of salicylic acid (SA) on biosynthesis of lignans (secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) and lariciresinol diglucoside (LDG)) and neolignans (dehydrodiconiferyl alcohol glucoside (DCG) and guaiacylglycerol-β-coniferyl alcohol ether glucoside (GGCG)) in cell cultures of flax. Moderate concentration of SA (50μM) enhanced biomass accumulation (10.98g/L dry weight (DW)), total phenolic content (37.81mg/g DW), and antioxidant potential (87.23%) to two-fold than their respective controls after 72h of exposure. However, higher levels of total flavonoid content (5.32mg/g DW) were noted after 48h of exposure to 50μM of SA. HPLC analyses revealed that 50μM SA, significantly enhanced biosynthesis of SDG (7.95mg/g DW), LDG (7.52mg/g DW), DCG (54.90mg/g DW), and GGCG (16.78mg/g DW), which was almost 2.7, 1.8, 3.88, and 3.98 fold higher than their respective controls after 72h of exposure time, respectively. These results indicated that moderate concentrations of SA had significant effects on biosynthesis and productivity of lignans and neolignans in cell culture of L. usitatissimum.