Influence of different elicitors on the synthesis of anthraquinone derivatives in Rubia tinctorum L. cell suspension cultures

An elicitation method increased the synthesis of anthraquinone derivatives occurring in cell suspension cultures of Rubia tinctorum L. High performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection and mass spectrometry (HPLC–DAD–MS) was used for the detection and quantification of the two glycosides, lucidin primeveroside and ruberithric acid and eight aglycones, namely pseudopurpurin, lucidin, alizarin, purpurin, alizarin-2-methylether, lucidin-ω-ethylether, nordamnacanthal and munjistin ethyl ester. The improved elicitor treatment of the suspension cultures increased the amounts of the natural dyes; the different elicitors, such as fungal polysaccharides and endogenous signal molecules (salicylic and jasmonic acid) provided specific yields of anthraquinone derivatives. After 7 days of elicitation, the total yield of anthraquinones increased from ≈70 mg g−1 to ≈262 mg g−1 while the amounts of lucidin primeveroside and ruberithric acid grew threefold and the quantity of pseudopurpurin increased by a factor of 28.