title: The effect of nitrate and ammonium concentrations on growth and alkaloid accumulation of Atropa belladonna hairy roots.
abstract: The growth, the alkaloid production, as well as the scopolamine/hyoscyamine ratio of two clones of belladonna hairy roots were studied. The effects of nitrate and ammonium concentrations on these cultures were investigated. A rise in ammonium concentration caused the decline of the hairy roots, while nitrate had a marked effect on the alkaloid content. The alkaloid production obtained with 15.8 mM of NO3- and 20.5 mM of NH4+ was 1.2-1.4 times higher than that obtained when the roots were grown in the standard Murashige and Skoog medium (MS medium, 39.5 mM of NO3- and 20.5 mM of NH4+). The nitrate and ammonium concentrations in the culture medium also had a strong influence on the scopolamine/hyoscyamine ratio. When nitrate or ammonium concentrations were raised, that ratio also was increased 2-3-fold. The hairy root clones originating from transformations with two distinct strains of Agrobacterium had similar responses.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Phytotechnologie, Faculté de Pharmacie d'Amiens, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, 1, rue des Louvels, 80037 Cedex 1, Amiens, France. lamine.bensaddek@u-picardie.fr
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bensaddek
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gillet
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Saucedo
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Fliniaux
mesh_terms: D001532:Atropa belladonna / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001286:Atropine Derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D001533:Belladonna Alkaloids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D009566:Nitrates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D010947:Plants, Toxic; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D012601:Scopolamine / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001286:Atropine Derivatives; D001533:Belladonna Alkaloids; D009566:Nitrates; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds; D012601:Scopolamine