Antagonistic effect of methyl jasmonate and salicylic acid on phenolic compounds production in plant cell cultures of Thevetia peruviana.

Thevetia peruviana is a tropical plant with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties attributed to flavanone and flavonol glycosides that are characteristic of this species. The influence of the exogenous addition of the phytohormones methyl jasmonate-MJ and salicylic acid-SA on the production of phenolic compounds (PC) in suspension cell cultures of T. peruviana was evaluated. Shake-flask scale cultures were elicited with MJ (3 μM), SA (300 μM), and MJ/SA (3 μM/300 μM); cells were harvested every 24 hours postelicitation for 6 days. Profile of PC was determined in ethanolic extracts by high performance liquid chromatography coupled to diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR). MJ significantly increased the hydroxycinnamates production such as ferulic acid (FA) and polyphenols such as chlorogenic acid (CGA), and decreased flavonols production such as dihydroquercetin (DHQ). Salicylic acid increased the benzoic acid derivatives (BA) production. In contrast, simultaneous treatment with MJ/AS inhibited the CQA and FA production, while increased the DHQ biosynthesis. In conclusion, simultaneous treatment with MJ and SA results in an antagonistic effect on the production of flavonoids from T. peruviana. It is possible that salicylates suppress some aspects of the jasmonate signaling [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]