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Title
Sucrose-dependent production of biomass and bioactive compounds in adventitious root cultures of Glycyrrhiza glabra L., an endangered medicinal plant
Type Article
Keywords
Keywords: Suspension medium optimization Licorice Sugar feeding Phenolic Saponin Polysaccharide
Abstract
Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (licorice), primarily known for its bioactive compound glycyrrhizin, offers anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Traditional propagation methods face challenges like slow growth and high costs, necessitating sustainable production strategies. In vitro adventitious root cultures emerge as a promising solution, providing rapid growth and stable metabolite accumulation. Before studying varying sucrose concentrations (10–60 g/L) on G. glabra adventitious root cultures, optimal conditions were set: half-strength MS medium, 2.5 g/L inoculum density, and 1 mg/L IBA for seven weeks. While 30 g/L sucrose was optimal for biomass production, lower concentrations (10, 20, and 30 g/L) significantly enhanced the production of phenolic, flavonoid, and saponin compounds compared to higher levels. A sucrose concentration of 10 g/L resulted in the highest glycyrrhizin content and the greatest contents of phenolics and flavonoids. Total saponin content peaked at 10 g/L, statistically similar to that at 20 g/L. The highest antioxidant activity was also recorded at 10 g/L, with no significant differences for 20 and 30 g/L. While the lower concentrations (10, 20, and 30 g/L) showed comparable phenolic, flavonoid, and saponin yields, 10 g/L consistently exhibited the highest values. Additionally, glycyrrhizin yield at 10 g/L was significantly higher than at other concentrations. Maximum polysaccharide content and yield were obtained at sucrose concentrations of 60 and 30 g/L, respectively, with no significant difference between them. This variation in sucrose concentrations is due to distinct biosynthetic pathways for each compound, emphasizing the importance of these findings for future studies on other parameters, especially in bioreactor applications.
Researchers Freshteh Maskani (First researcher) , Mansour Gholami (Second researcher) , Hasan Sarikhani (Third researcher) , seyed ali andi (Fourth researcher)