Increased phenolic acid and tanshinone production and transcriptional responses of biosynthetic genes in hairy root cultures of Salvia przewalskii Maxim. treated with methyl jasmonate and salicylic acid

The purpose of this study is to reveal the impact of the plant hormone salicylic acid (SA) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) on the growth, effective components accumulation, and related gene expression of the hairy root ofSalvia przewalskiiMaxim. Various concentrations of SA (0, 25, 50, 100, 200 mu M) or MeJA (0, 50, 100, 200, 400, 600 mu M) were added to the culture medium ofSalvia przewalskiiMaxim. Low concentrations of SA promoted the growth of hairy root, while a high concentration inhibited it. 0 to 400 mu M MeJA promoted the growth of hairy root, but 600 mu M MeJA starts to inhibit its growth. 50 mu M SA and 400 mu M MeJA significantly enhanced the production of caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, salvianolic acid B, cryptotanshinone, and tanshinone IIA. In general, 50 mu M SA can be used to accumulate of tanshinone in hairy roots ofS. przewalskiiwith 6 days. 400 mu M MeJA can be used to accumulate of phenolic acids in hairy roots ofS. przewalskiiwith 3 days. The selected genes in the tanshinone and phenolic acid biosynthetic pathway were upregulated with elicitation. To obtain a higher yield and content of secondary metabolites, it is advisable to use 50 mu M SA or 400 mu M MeJA as the optimal doses to cultivate the hairy root ofS. przewalskii.This study provides, for the first time, an efficient tanshinone and phenolic acid production method forS. przewalskii.