title: Effect of magnesium on essential oil formation of genetically transformed and non-transformed chamomile cultures.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacognosy, Semmelweis University, H-1085 Budapest Ullöi str. 26., Hungary. szokee@drog.sote.hu
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Szöke
authors.forename: Emöke
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Máday
authors.forename: Sandor A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Kiss
authors.forename: Lara
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sonnewend
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lemberkovics
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D009822:Oils, Volatile; D008278:Magnesium Sulfate; D008274:Magnesium