title: Salicylic Acid Treatment Increases the Levels of Triterpene Glycosides in Black Cohosh (Actaea Racemosa) Rhizomes.
abstract: Black cohosh (Actaea racemosa) serves as the host plant for the Appalachian azure butterfly, Celastrina neglectamajor. Overharvesting of Black cohosh for the dietary supplement industry may result in its extirpation, and may also cause the elimination of the dependent butterfly. One way to increase or maintain the number of host plants in forested environments would be to reduce the number harvested, for example by increasing the levels of the desired metabolites in Black cohosh rhizomes. The secondary metabolites actein and deoxyactein are triterpene glycosides and are among the compounds associated with the putative activity of Black cohosh extracts. Acetein and deoxyacetein are used to standardize Black cohosh supplements. To gain an understanding of mechanisms that may control actein and deoxyactein accumulation, Black cohosh rhizomes were treated with exogenous salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, or ethylene, or were mechanically wounded. Salicylic acid treatment significantly increased the levels of actein and deoxyactein in the rhizome of Black cohosh, suggesting that the synthesis of triterpene glycosides is controlled in part by salicylic acid. Using salicylic acid or related chemicals to increase the levels of actein and deoxyactein in rhizomes may help supply the supplement industry and, simultaneously, help conserve Black cohosh and species dependent upon it.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Frostburg State University, 101 Braddock Rd, Frostburg, MD, 21532, USA.|Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, Oklahoma University, 770 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK, 73019, USA.
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Capite
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Frostburg State University, 101 Braddock Rd, Frostburg, MD, 21532, USA.
authors.forename: Tyler
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lancaster
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Frostburg State University, 101 Braddock Rd, Frostburg, MD, 21532, USA. dpputhoff@frostburg.edu.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Puthoff
mesh_terms: D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D003517:Cyclopentanes / Q000494:pharmacology; D005030:Ethylenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D006027:Glycosides / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D054883:Oxylipins / Q000494:pharmacology; D029626:Ranunculaceae / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D027343:Rhizome / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D020156:Salicylic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012503:Saponins / Q000032:analysis; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003517:Cyclopentanes; D005030:Ethylenes; D006027:Glycosides; D054883:Oxylipins; D012503:Saponins; D014315:Triterpenes; C011006:jasmonic acid; C036216:ethylene; C096064:actein; D020156:Salicylic Acid
keywords: Actein; Deoxyactein; Ethylene; Jasmonic acid; Secondary metabolite; Wounding