The effects of elicitors and precursor on in-vitro cultures of Trifolium resupinatum for sustainable metabolite accumulation and antioxidant activity

Abstract

Abstract Natural products are being searched for the potential source of medicines and drugs. Trifolium resupinatum is a significant hay crop in cold regions of Iran, Iraq, and Middle East Asia. In this study, assessment of the property of elicitors and precursors on the antioxidant ability of T. resupinatum and on the capitulate improvement of metabolites were done aiming to advance the metabolite and antioxidant production. Explants and containerized plants of T. resupinatum were cultivated before treatment with elicitors and precursors. Plants grown from different explants and culture conditions such as somatic embryos, shade-grown, dark-induced callus, and light-induced callus were treated with different concentrations of elicitors and precursors. The variations in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites were tissue and environment-specific. Though there was similarity in the relation of content with the concentration of elicitors and precursors shows tissue specificity. The results showed that Methyl Jasmonate (MJ), Salicylic acid (SA), and Glutathione (Glu) were effective on treatments on the bio-production of phenolic and flavonoid compounds. The overall results indicate significant effects of treatments in improving the shade-grown plant activity. The correlation between phenolic and flavonoid content was statistically evaluated with antioxidant activity. Enzymatic activity was influenced by all three effectors and precursors; it was quite more under the influence of SA. The current study displayed the enhancement of metabolites (phenolic and flavonoid) production and increase of antioxidant and enzymatic activities, particularly in the presence of glutamine as precursors and elicitors.