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Polysaccharide elicitors enhance phenylpropanoid and naphtodianthrone production in cell suspension cultures of Hypericum perforatum

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Abstract

Hypericum perforatum cell suspensions were evaluated for their growth, phenylpropanoid and naphtodianthrone productions, and antioxidant activity after treatments with polysaccharide elicitors chitin (CHI), pectin (PEC) and dextran (DEX). Polysaccharide elicitation of cell cultures showed a considerable improving effect on phenylpropanoid production (phenolics, flavonoids, flavanols and anthocyanins) during the post-elicitation period. Even that enhanced phenylpropanoid production was related to growth suppression of CHI elicited cells, PEC and DEX were presented as effective elicitors without loss of cell biomass. Phenylpropanoid accumulation in elicited cells was correlated to markedly higher enzyme activities of phenylalanine ammonia lyase and chalcone-flavanone isomerase. Cell cultures were found to respond rapidly towards the applied elicitors through an early stimulation of both naphtodiantrones, hypericin (HYP) and pseudohypericin (PHYP). The CHI was proposed as a much more prominent elicitor in stimulation of HYP and PHYP levels in cell suspensions. All tested polysaccharide elicitors stimulated non-enzymatic antioxidant properties in cell extracts indicating the potential role of phenolic compounds as effective antioxidants. With regards to the antioxidant enzymes, an up-regulation of peroxidase and catalase activities was observed in PEC and DEX elicited cells, whereas CHI did not give any stimulatory effect on enzymatic activities. These findings suggest the involvement of an efficient antioxidant defense system in the adaptive response of cells to polysaccharide elicitation. Altogether, these results indicated that H. perforatum cells elicited with polysaccharides represent a promising experimental system for enhanced production of phenylpropanoids and naphtodianthrones.

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Abbreviations

CAT:

Catalase

CHFI:

Chalcone-flavanone isomerase

CHI:

Chitin

DEX:

Dextran

HYP:

Hypericin

JA:

Jasmonic acid

MeJA:

Methyl jasmonate

NEAOP:

Non-enzymatic antioxidant properties

PAL:

Phenylalanine ammonia lyase

PEC:

Pectin

PHYP:

Pseudohypericin

POD:

Peroxidase

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

SA:

Salicylic acid

TA:

Total anthocyanins

TF:

Total flavonoids

TFL:

Total flavanols

TP:

Total phenolics

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Acknowledgments

This work and a Ph.D. Grant (Sonja Gadzovska Simic) was supported by the Ministère des Affaires Etrangères (Programme COCOP: Réseau d’Enseignement régional Postgraduate en Biologie, Grant No. DSUR-NGE-4B1-505). We thank Dr. F. Brignolas, Dr. S. Ounnnar and S. Pochon for their technical help.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Biologie des Ligneux et des Grandes Cultures, UPRES EA 1207, UFR-Faculté des Sciences, Université d’Orléans, rue de Chartres, BP 6759, 45067, Orléans Cedex 2, France

    Sonja Gadzovska Simic, Stéphane Maury, Alain Delaunay, Claude Joseph & Daniel Hagège

  2. Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Institute of Biology, University “Ss. Cyril and Methodius”, Archimedova str. 3, 1000, Skopje, Macedonia

    Sonja Gadzovska Simic & Oliver Tusevski

  3. Laboratory of Wood and Crop Biology, Antenne Scientifique Universitaire de Chartres (ASUC), Université d’Orléans, 21 rue de Loigny la Bataille, 28000, Chartres, France

    Eric Lainé & Daniel Hagège

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  1. Sonja Gadzovska Simic
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Correspondence to Sonja Gadzovska Simic.

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Gadzovska Simic, S., Tusevski, O., Maury, S. et al. Polysaccharide elicitors enhance phenylpropanoid and naphtodianthrone production in cell suspension cultures of Hypericum perforatum . Plant Cell Tiss Organ Cult 122, 649–663 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11240-015-0798-z

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