Copper Nanoparticles and Culture Media Elicit Biomass, Secondary Metabolites, and Antioxidant Activity in the Cell Suspension Culture of Momordica charantia L

Abstract

Medicinal plants are characterized by their high content of secondary metabolites. They are known to possess pharmaceutical properties. Based on this, the present study describes the ability of laboratory-synthesized copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs) to influence the biomass properties, secondary metabolism, and biological activity of cell suspension culture (CSC) induced from the hypocotyl extirpated from sterilized seedlings of Momordica charantia L. CSC were grown in various cultures, including Linsmaier and Skoog (LS), Murashige and Skoog (MS), and Woody Plant Medium (WPM), supplemented with different concentrations of Cu NPs 0, 40, 80, 120, 160, and 200 µg mlP-1P respectively. The highest biomass accumulation for calli cultures was induced from the hypocotyl. CSC obtained from two-month-old calli cultures were subjected to Cu NPs treatments in different cultures for 21 days, which increased the biomass of the CSC. The increasing concentrations of Cu NPs caused a decreasing trend in biomass and cell vitality and an increase in the accumulation of Cu, hydrogen peroxide (HR2ROR2R), and malondialdehyde (MDA). The lowest values appeared for CSC grown in a WPM at a concentration of 200 µg mlP-1P Cu NPs. CSC grown in a WPM treated by 200 µg mlP-1P Cu NPs provided the highest total flavonoids production (TFP) and the most increased activity of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), and diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH). On the other hand, exogenous 200 µg mlP-1P Cu NPs in MS medium improved total phenolic production (TPP). In conclusion, these results indicate the promising role of plant tissue culture technology in achieving sustainable biomass production and thus improving the production of secondary metabolites through the hypocotyl growth of M. charantia L. in specific cultures using Cu NPs as an effective elicitor.