Influence of Various Carbohydrates on the Accumulation of Rosmarinic Acid in the Hairy Root Cultures of Agastache rugosa Kuntze
Background : Agastache rugosa (A.rugosa), belongs to the Labiatae family, is a perennial plant distributed in Korea, Japan, Taiwan and China. It is commonly called korean mint and commercially consumed as a medicinal plant in many countries since the crop contains monoterpenes and phenylpropanoids including rosmarinic acid, tilianin and acacetin. Achievement of hairy root cultures (HRCs) through infection of A rhizogenes is a valuable alternative approach, resulting from genetic and biochemical stability, rapid growth rates and synthesis of natural products. Methods and Results : The hairy root, obtained from the explant of A.rugosa, was cultured in the basal half-strength MS (Murashige & Skoog) medium. The dry weights (DW) of hairy roots was measured after 4-days freeze dryer. The highest levels of DW were obtained at hairy roots cultured in the basal medium supplemented with glucose, galactose and sucrose. The lowest weight was recorded after HRCs in the control, meant that the medium did not contain any carbon sources. Sucrose, glucose and galactose are the most suitable for the growth of korean mint hairy roots. the rosmarinic acid contents in the hairy roots varied responding to various carbohydrates. The basal media added with sucrose resulted in the highest value of rosmarinic acid, followed by the basal media with galactose and glucose. The control showed the lowest amount of rosmarinic acid. Conclusion : In this study, carbon source are of importance for growth and accumulation of rosmarinic acid accumulation in korean mint hairy roots. Especially, the accumulation of rosmrinic acid and hairy root growth was the most appropriate carbohydrate. The current study suggests HRCs of korean mint could provide an valuable alternative approaches for the enhanced production of rosmarinic acid.