Establishment of a co-culture of Ammi majus L. and Ruta graveolens L. for the synthesis of furanocoumarins

Ammi majus and Ruta graveolens plants were chosen to establish a co-culture due to their abilities to produce secondary metabolites from the furanocoumarin (FC) family. The conditions for cultivating A. majus hairy roots and R. graveolens shoots separately were established earlier. In continuation, the conditions of the co-culture of A. majus and R. graveolens were determined in this work. Two systems of co-cultivation were tested: A. majus hairy roots with R. graveolens cell suspension and A. majus hairy roots with R. graveolens shoots. The second model was chosen for further experiments, namely to test different tissues inoculation ratios as well as the influence of the photoperiod and darkness conditions on A. majus and R. graveolens tissues growth and the accumulation of secondary metabolites. The growth index (t(25)/t(1)) of R. graveolens shoots was higher in the co-cultures; moreover, 2.5 times higher concentration of xanthotoxin was observed in the co-culture in light conditions. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.