Salvianolic acids production in Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge was regulated by both soluble sugars accumulation and growth substances salicylic acid and methyl jasmonate

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate relationships between production of salvianolic acids inSalvia miltiorrhiza Bunge and sugars accumulation, growth substances salicylic acid (SA), and methyl jasmonate (MeJA). The foliar application of 2 mmol/L SA for two weeks significantly decreased activities of acid invertase (pH 5.0) and neutral invertase (pH 7.0) in both seedlings and fruiting plants of S. miltiorrhiza, and thus contents of sucrose in the plants exhibited an increasing-trend, whereas the 0.2 mmol/L MeJA application for two weeks caused contrary effects on activities of the enzymes and on contents of sucrose in the plants; meanwhile contents of reducing sugar in the different-aged plants under both the SA and MeJA treatments, contents of caffeic acid and rosmarinic acid in roots of the SA-treated seedlings, as well as contents of rosmarinic acid, salvianolic acid B and total amounts of salvianolic acids in roots of either the MeJA-treated seedlings or the SA-, MeJA-treated fruiting plants, were significantly increased. Further, contents of rosmarinic acid and salvianolic acid B, as well as total amounts of salvianolic acids in cultures of S. miltiorrhizahairy roots were regularly increased followed with increase in medium concentrations of glucose but not sucrose, in which the glucose of middle and high medium concentrations, respectively caused more rosmarinic acid and higher total amount of salvianolic acids, compared to the sucrose at same concentrations. This together indicated that the production of salvianolic acids in roots of S. miltiorrhiza is activated by growth substances SA, MeJA, and is positively accelerated by glucose but not sucrose. Key words: Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, growth substances, sucrose, glucose, salvianolic acids.