[Effects of methyl jasmonat on accumulation and release of tanshinones in suspension cultures of Salvia miltiorrhiza hairy root].

Objective: To study the effects of methyl jasmonate (MJ) on the accumulation and release of tanshinones in suspension cultures of Salvia miltiorrhiza hairy roots.

Method: After 18 day's suspension culture of S. miltiorrhiza hairy roots induced by Agrobacterium rhizogenes ATCC15834, the chemical elicitor--methyl jasmonat was added into 6-7V suspension cultures and at the same time, tanshinones contents (including cryptotanshinone and tanshinone II(A)) on the day 2, 6 and 9, after dealing with MJ, was quantified by HPLC.

Result: After dealing with MJ on the day 2, 6 and 9, the concentration of cryptotanshinone reached to 0.039, 0.204, 0.571 mg x g(-1) respectively,and tanshinone II(A) reached 0.251, 0.601 and 1.563 mg x g(-1) respectively. After 9 day's treatment by MJ, the maximum increase of cryptotanshinone and tanshinone II(A) were 23.8 fold and 6.2 fold higher than that of the control respectively.

Conclusion: MJ could stimulate the accumulation of tanshinones in S. miltiorrhiza and have released them into the culture medium.