Elicitation effects of a synthetic 1,2,4,5-tetraoxane and a 2,5-diphenylthiophene in shoot cultures of two Nepeta species

Abstract

The presented study aimed to investigate the elicitation possibility for the production of main secondary metabolites in Nepeta cataria L. and N. pannonica L. plants, by exposing them to synthetic compounds belonging to tetraoxanes and thiophenes group. The effect of DO63 (1,2,4,5-tetraoxane) and DOVF15 (2,5-diphenylthiophene) on the production of cis-trans-nepetalactone (NL) and rosmarinic acid (RA) in two Nepeta species, was investigated in shoots grown on the culture medium with the addition of synthetic compounds in the concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 2 mg L-1. The content of targeted metabolites in tested in vitro shoots depended on the type and concentration of applied synthetic compounds. Application of DO63 in the concentration range 0.1-1 mg L-1 affected only NL production in both Nepeta species resulting in its increased content, while production of RA was not influenced in the treated shoots. Addition of DOVF15 caused decreased RA content in N. pannonica shoots and an increase in N. cataria shoots, whereas NL production was not affected. The presented results reveal the possibility of DO63 and DOVF15 application for the elicitation of the main secondary metabolites production in species from the genus Nepeta.