In vitro morphogenetic responses and comparative analysis of phthalides in the highly valued medicinal plant Ligusticum porteri Coulter & Rose

摘要

The morphogenetic response of Ligusticum porteri, a medicinal and ceremonial plant, was investigated as part of the conservation strategy of this wild species and was compared to that of a cultivated species, Petroselinum crispum. Seeds were germinated in half strength Murashige and Skoog medium. Plantlets were excised into root, cotyledon, petiole, stem and leaf explants and cultured in an induction medium supplemented with the range of 0-18.09 μM 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) or 0-21.48 μM α-naphthaleneacetic acid in combination with 0-13.31 μM 6-benzylaminopurine. Calli derived from leaf, seeds, petiole, stem and roots, mature aerial parts and roots extracts of L. porteri and P. crispum were analyzed by thin layer chromatography and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. 3-Butylidenephthalide (6.3%) was identified along with other 23 compounds from mature aerial parts extract of L. porteri and also in its roots (20.8%). 3-n-Butylphthalide (0.7%) and 3,6,7,-trimethoxy-isobenzofuran-13(H)-one (4.9%) were identified from the roots of P. crispum. 3-Butylidenephthalide was identified from two petiole (0.9%; 0.26%) and one stem (0.8%) callus extracts of L. porteri. This is the first report on phthalides production from in vitro cultures of L. porteri. The results indicated that in vitro cultures of this plant possess the biosynthetic machinery for the biosynthesis of these highly valuable compounds.