Skip to main content
Log in

Methyl jasmonate increases silymarin production in Silybum marianum (L.) Gaernt cell cultures treated with β-cyclodextrins

  • Original Research Paper
  • Published:
Biotechnology Letters Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Silymarin (Sm) from the fruit of Silybum marianum is an isomeric mixture of pharmacologically active flavonolignans which are formed by oxidative coupling of taxifolin (Tx) and coniferyl alcohol (CA). Suspension cultures of this plant constitutively secrete small amounts of Sm into the extracellular medium. Production can be increased by inclusion of cyclodextrins (CDs) in cultures. Both hydroxylated (RHCD) and dimethylated (RMCD) CDs strongly induced prompt accumulation of CA in the medium followed by a late production of flavonolignans. Simultaneous addition of methyl jasmonate (MJ) and RMCD to cells did not significantly modify CA release or flavonolignan accumulation. Delayed addition of MJ to cultures subcultivated in medium containing RMCD markedly influenced Sm production by promoting conversion of the previously formed CA precursor.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alikaridis F, Papadakis D, Pantelia K, Kephalas T (2000) Flavonolignan production from Silybum marianum transformed and untransformed root cultures. Fitoterapia 71:379–384

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bru R, Selles S, Casado-Vela J, Casado-Vela S, Pedreño MA (2006) Modified cyclodextrins are chemically defined glucan inducers of defense responses in grapevine cell cultures. J Agric Food Chem 54:65–71

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cacho M, Morán M, Corchete P, Fernández-Tárrago J (1999) Influence of medium composition on the accumulation of flavonolignans in cultured cells of Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. Plant Sci 144:63–68

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chakraborty A, Chattopadhyay S (2008) Stimulation of menthol production in Mentha piperita cell culture. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol Plant 44:518–524

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ferreiro P, Pais MSS, Cabral JMS (1991) Production of silybin-like compounds in cell suspension cultures of Silybum marianum. Planta Med 57:2–3

    Google Scholar 

  • Fraschini F, Demartini G, Esposti D (2002) Pharmacology of silymarin. Clin Drug Invest 22:51–65

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gazak R, Walterova D, Kren V (2007) Silybin and silymarin: new and emerging applications in medicine. Curr Med Chem 14:315–338

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kim NC, Graf TN, Sparacino CM, Wani MC, Wall ME (2003) Complete isolation and characterization of silybins and isosilybins from milk thistle (Silybum marianum). Org Biomol Chem 1:1684–1689

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Komaraiah P, Reddy GV, Srinivas Reddy P, Raghavendra AS, Ramakrishna SV, Reddanna P (2003) Enhanced production of antimicrobial sesquiterpenes and lipoxygenase metabolites in elicitor-treated hairy root cultures of Solanum tuberosum. Biotechnol Lett 25:593–597

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kren V, Walterova D (2005) Silybin and silymarin new effects and applications. Biomed Papers 149:29–41

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lee DYW, Liu YZ (2003) Molecular structure and stereochemistry of silybin A, silybin B, isosilybin A, and isosilybin B, isolated from Silybum marianum (milk thistle). J Nat Prod 66:1171–1174

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lijavetzky D, Almagro L, Belchi-Navarro S, Martínez-Zapater JM, Bru R, Pedreño MA (2008) Synergistic effect of methyl jasmonate and cyclodextrin on stilbene biosynthesis pathway gene expression and resveratrol production in Monastrell grapevine cell cultures. BMC Res Notes 1:132

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Morales M, Bru R, García-Carmona F, Ros-Barceló A, Pedreño MA (1998) Effect of dimethyl-β-cyclodextrins on resveratrol metabolism in Gamay grapevine cell cultures before and after inoculation with shape Xylophilus ampelinus. Plant Cell Tissue Organ Cult 53:179–187

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Morazzoni P, Bombardelli E (1995) Silybum marianum (Carduus marianum). Fitoterapia 66:3–42

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ohvo H, Slotte JP (1996) Cyclodextrin-mediated removal of sterols from monolayers: effects of sterol structure and phospholipids on desorption rate. Biochemistry 35:8018–8024

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rahnama H, Hasanloo T, Shams MR, Sepehrifar R (2008) Silymarin production by hairy root culture of Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. Iranian J Biotechnol 6:113–118

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sánchez-Sampedro MA, Fernández-Tárrago J, Corchete P (2005) Yeast extract and methyl jasmonate-induced silymarin production in cell cultures of Silybum marianum (L.) Gaernt. J Biotechnol 119:60–69

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shibano M, Lin AS, Itokawa H, Lee KH (2007) Separation and characterization of active flavonolignans of Silybum marianum by Liquid Chromatography connected with Hybrid Ion-Trap and Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (LC–MS/IT-TOF). J Nat Prod 70:1424–1428

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Van Uden W, Woerdenbag HJ, Pras N (1994) Cyclodextrins as a useful tool for bioconversions in plant cell biotechnology. Plant Cell Tiss Org Cul 38:103–113

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Widholm JM (1972) The use of fluorescein diacetate and phenosafranine for determining viability of cultured plant cells. Stain Technol 47:189–194

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zamboni A, Vrhovsek U, Kassemeyer HH, Mattivi F, Velasco R (2006) Elicitor-induced resveratrol production in cell cultures of different grape genotypes (Vitis spp.). Vitis 45:63–68

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zamboni A, Gatto P, Cestaro A, Pilati S, Viola R, Mattivi F, Moser C, Velasco R (2009) Grapevine cell early activation of specific responses to DIMEB, a resveratrol elicitor. BMC Genomics 10:363–373

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao J, Davis LC, Verpoorte R (2005) Elicitor signal transduction leading to production of plant secondary metabolites. Biotechnol Adv 23:283–333

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was financed by Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (BFU2008-02876/BFI), and by the Consejería de Educación, Ciencia e Investigación de la Región de Murcia (BIO BVA 07 01 0003), Spain. We are grateful to Dr. C. Raposo, from the Spectroscopy Service of the University of Salamanca, for his valuable help at identifying CA and Sm compounds.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Purificación Corchete.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Belchi-Navarro, S., Pedreño, M.A. & Corchete, P. Methyl jasmonate increases silymarin production in Silybum marianum (L.) Gaernt cell cultures treated with β-cyclodextrins. Biotechnol Lett 33, 179–184 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10529-010-0406-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10529-010-0406-6

Keywords

Navigation