Effect of magnesium on essential oil formation of genetically transformed and non-transformed chamomile cultures

OBJECTIVE: The importance of chamomile (Chamomilla recutita) is widely known in classical and folk medicine, with the largest group of its effective substances forming the essential oil (chamazulene, [alpha]-bisabolol, trans-[beta]-farnesene, spathulenol, cis/trans-en-in-dicycloethers). The increasing need for plant-derived high quality drugs cannot be provided by their collection in the wilderness. METHOD: A: To preserve the genome of Szabadkigyó. wild type having high (-)-[alpha]-bisabolol content, we used biotechnological methods. RESULTS: The roots of organized culture contained [beta]-eudesmol, which we have identified in the intact roots. Our gas-chromatographic and mass-spectroscopic studies showed that sterile chamomile cultures generated the most important terpenoid and polyin compounds characteristics of the intact plant. We identified berkheyaradulene, geranyl-isovalerate and cedrol, as new components in these cultures. Magnesium (Mg) (370 and 740 mg/l MgSO₄) has a positive effect on the growth of organized cultures and also on the quality and quantity of essential oil production. Method B: Another possible source of variants is available by the genetic transformation of organized cultures by infection with Agrobacterium rhisogenes. With this method, we cultivated chamomile infected by A4-Y clone and investigated the essential oil production by hairy root cultures cultivated on solid and liquid MS B-5 media. The main component of the essential oil of hairy root cultures was trans-[beta]-farnesene. RESULTS: We identified [alpha]-selinene, as a new component in these hairy roots. We studied the growth rate of A4-Y clone on the cited media, containing MgSO₄ concentrations: 0; 185; 370 and 740 mg/l. The cultures grew most in medium containing 740 mg/l of MgSO₄. Essential oil content was compared from hairy root cultures of different Mg containing media and measured by GC and GC-MS methods. Mg has a similar effect on hairy roots as on organized cultures.