Methyl Jasmonate Elicited Helichrysum stoechas (L.) Moench Cell Suspensions, A Promising Source of Extracts with Allelopathic Activity?

Abstract

Helichrysum stoechas (L.) Moench cell suspensions were analyzed by LC-ESI-QTOF, which highlighted the predominance of 3,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid (3,5-diCQA). Elicitation of H. stoechas cells with methyl jasmonate (200 mM) led to a massive rise in 3,5-diCQA, up to 5-fold-increase compared with control, reaching the concentration of 10.2 mg. g-1dry weight after 14 days of culture. Previous data showed that diCQA isomers are potent allelopathic compounds, thus the methanolic extracts of control and MeJa-elicited H. stoechas cells were tested for their phytotoxicity. With this in mind, activity on the seed germination and seedling growth of the model plant Lepidium sativum were tested. Phytotoxicity of both extracts occurred in a dose-dependent manner, with a greater activity of elicited cells extract. Indeed, in the concentration range from 0.31 to 0.83 mg. mL-1, the latter showed a significantly higher inhibition rate of L. sativum seedlings root growth, when compared to control cells extract. The data presented may contribute to explore new strategies towards the conception of bioherbicides from plant origin. To our knowledge, this study is the first report of the use of elicited plant cells grown in vitro as a raw material for the production of allelopathic metabolites.

Effect of explant type (leaf, stem) and 2,4-D concentration on callus induction: influence of elicitor type (biotic, abiotic), elicitor concentration and elicitation time on biomass growth rate and costunolide biosynthesis in gazania (Gazania rigens) cell suspension cultures

“…Our results corroborate the studies conducted in Changium smyrnioides (Cai et al 2017 ) and Mentha piperita (Krzyzanowska et al 2012 ), where suspension cells elicited with MeJA and jasmonic acid (JA), respectively, showed inhibition of biomass accumulation and suppressed cell growth. In contrast to our results in gazania, MeJA elicitation has been illustrated to have a stimulating effect on cell growth and biomass production in other Asteraceae species including Lavandula vera MM (Georgiev et al 2007 ), Achillea gypsicola (Açıkgöz et al 2019 ), and Helichrysum stoechas (Gourguillon et al 2022 ).…”

“…Similarly, explants after elicitation with MeJA showed considerably higher scavenging free radical activity as compared to the non-elicited ones (Shilpha et al 2015 ). Consistent with our results in gazania regarding costunolide accumulation, the positive effect of MeJA elicitation on targeted secondary metabolites in other Asteraceae species has been reported including 3,5-diCQA (main phenolic acid) in Helichrysum stoechas cells (Gourguillon et al 2022 ), and artemisinin, artemisinic acid, dihydroartemisinic acid, and other sesquiterpenoids as well as triterpenoids in Artemisia annua L. (Wang et al 2009 ).…”