Effect of jasmonate on ginsenoside biosynthesis in adventitious root culture of Panax ginseng

Ginsenosides are considered as principal biological active compounds of Panax species, which have a strong reputation since ancient times for being tonic, regenerating, and rejuvenating. Natural sources of wild growing plants have been overexploited and are therefore very limited. Hence the new ways of the production of Panax bioactive constituents are explored [1, 2]. In this study the effect of jasmonic acid (JA) on production of main ginsenosides (Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Rd, Rg1, Re and Rf) by the root culture of Panax ginseng was evaluated. Non-transformed adventitious root culture was established from in vitro regenerated plantlets cultivated on liquid medium with addition of plant regulators (IBA) [3]. JA (10mg/L) was added to culture 64, 28, 21, 14 and 7 days before harvest. Compared with untreated control (15.88mg/g of dry weight), total ginsenoside content increased as much as 33% in cultures treated with JA (23.67mg/g), whereas growth was slightly suppressed. The increase was mainly caused by panaxadiol ginsenosides (Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Rd) (16.12mg/g in comparison with 7.56mg/g in control), whereas content of panaxatriol glycosides (Rg1, Re and Rf) was almost the same in control and treated roots (about 8.0mg/g). The time of the application of JA before harvest had no significant effect on total production as well as panaxadiol and panaxatriol ginsenosides ratio. Acknowledgements: This work was supported by KJB 400550705 research project and COST 1P0OC926.001 project. References: [1] Yu, K.W., Gao, W.Y., Hahn, E.J., Paek, K.Y. (2002) Biochem Eng J 11: 211–215. [2] Langhansova L, Marsik P, Vanek T (2005) Biol Plantarum 49: 463–465. [3] Choi, S.M., Son, S.H., Yun, S.R., Kwon, O.W., Seon, J.H., Paek, K.Y. (2000) Plant Cell Tiss Org 62: 187–193.