Effect of magnesium on essential oil formation of genetically transformed and non-transformed chamomile cultures.
OBJECTIVE
The importance of chamomile (Chamomilla recutita) is widely known in classical and folk medicine, with the largest group of its effective substances forming the essential oil (chamazulene, alpha-bisabolol, trans-beta-farnesene, spathulenol, cis/trans-en-in-dicycloethers). The increasing need for plant-derived high quality drugs cannot be provided by their collection in the wilderness. METHOD A: To preserve the genome of Szabadkigyo. wild type having high (-)-alpha-bisabolol content, we used biotechnological methods.


RESULTS
The roots of organized culture contained beta-eudesmol, which we have identified in the intact roots. Our gas-chromatographic and mass-spectroscopic studies showed that sterile chamomile cultures generated the most important terpenoid and polyin compounds characteristics of the intact plant. We identified berkheyaradulene, geranyl-isovalerate and cedrol, as new components in these cultures. Magnesium (Mg) (370 and 740 mg/l MgSO4) has a positive effect on the growth of organized cultures and also on the quality and quantity of essential oil production. METHOD B: Another possible source of variants is available by the genetic transformation of organized cultures by infection with Agrobacterium rhisogenes. With this method, we cultivated chamomile infected by A4-Y clone and investigated the essential oil production by hairy root cultures cultivated on solid and liquid MS B-5 media. The main component of the essential oil of hairy root cultures was trans-beta-farnesene.


RESULTS
We identified alpha-selinene, as a new component in these hairy roots. We studied the growth rate of A4-Y clone on the cited media, containing MgSO4 concentrations: 0; 185; 370 and 740 mg/l. The cultures grew most in medium containing 740 mg/l of MgSO4. Essential oil content was compared from hairy root cultures of different Mg containing media and measured by GC and GC-MS methods. Mg has a similar effect on hairy roots as on organized cultures.
Szöke
Eva
E
Department of Pharmacognosy, Semmelweis University, H-1085 Budapest Ullöi str. 26., Hungary. szokee@drog.sote.hu
Máday
Emöke
E
Kiss
Sandor A
SA
Sonnewend
Lara
L
Lemberkovics
Eva
E
D020843:Chamomile / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D008274:Magnesium / Q000378:metabolism*; D008278:Magnesium Sulfate; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000032:analysis*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D010946:Plants, Medicinal
D009822:Oils, Volatile; D008278:Magnesium Sulfate; D008274:Magnesium