<i>C3H</i> Expression Is Crucial for Methyl Jasmonate Induction of Chicoric Acid Production by <i>Echinacea purpurea</i> (L.) Moench Cell Suspension Cultures

<i>Echinacea purpurea</i> (L.) Moench is one of the most economically important medicinal plants, cultivated worldwide for its high medicinal value and with several industrial applications in both pharmaceutical and food industries. Thanks to its various phytochemical contents, including...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Laura Ravazzolo, Benedetto Ruperti, Marco Frigo, Oriana Bertaiola, Giovanna Pressi, Mario Malagoli, Silvia Quaggiotti
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-09-01
Series:International Journal of Molecular Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/19/11179
Description
Summary:<i>Echinacea purpurea</i> (L.) Moench is one of the most economically important medicinal plants, cultivated worldwide for its high medicinal value and with several industrial applications in both pharmaceutical and food industries. Thanks to its various phytochemical contents, including caffeic acid derivatives (CADs), <i>E. purpurea</i> extracts have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immuno-stimulating properties. Among CADs, chicoric acid is one of the most important compounds which have shown important pharmacological properties. The present research was aimed at optimizing the production of chicoric acid in <i>E. purpurea</i> cell culture. Methyl jasmonate (MeJa) at different concentrations and for different duration of treatments was utilized as elicitor, and the content of total polyphenols and chicoric acid was measured. Several genes involved in the chicoric acid biosynthetic pathway were selected, and their expression evaluated at different time points of cell culture growth. This was performed with the aim of identifying the most suitable putative molecular markers to be used as a proxy for the early prediction of chicoric acid contents, without the need of expensive quantification methods. A correlation between the production of chicoric acid in response to MeJa and an increased response to oxidative stress was also proposed.
ISSN:1661-6596
1422-0067