Metabolites (Jul 2023)

The Impact of Acute Low-Dose Gamma Irradiation on Biomass Accumulation and Secondary Metabolites Production in <i>Cotinus coggygria</i> Scop. and <i>Fragaria × ananassa</i> Duch. Red Callus Cultures

  • Alexandra-Gabriela Ciocan,
  • Carmen Maximilian,
  • Elena Monica Mitoi,
  • Radu-Cristian Moldovan,
  • Daniel Neguț,
  • Cristina-Adela Iuga,
  • Florența Elena Helepciuc,
  • Irina Holobiuc,
  • Mihai Radu,
  • Tatiana Vassu Dimov,
  • Gina Cogălniceanu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13080894
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 8
p. 894

Abstract

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Cotinus coggygria Scop. (smoketree) and Fragaria × ananassa Duch. (strawberry) are two industrially important species due to their composition in bioactive compounds. In this study, we investigated the effects of acute low-dose gamma irradiation (15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 Gy) on two red callus cultures established in smoketree and strawberry. The biomass production, dry weight, content of phenols, flavonoids, monomeric anthocyanins’, index of anthocyanins polymerization and antioxidant activity were evaluated. For the smoketree callus, a negative correlation between irradiation doses and callus biomass accumulation was observed. For the strawberry callus, irradiation did not significantly affect the accumulation of the biomass. An increased dry weight was observed in irradiated smoketree callus, while for treated strawberry callus, a decrease was recorded. Irradiation with 30 Gy was stimulative for polyphenols’ accumulation in both cultures; however, the increase was significant only in the strawberry callus. The flavonoids increased in the 30 Gy strawberry variants, while it significantly decreased in smoketree callus irradiated with 35 and 40 Gy. In irradiated strawberry callus, except for the 25 Gy variant (1.65 ± 0.4 mg C-3-GE/g DW), all treatments caused an increase in anthocyanins’ accumulation. In smoketree, except for the 15 Gy variant (2.14 ± 0.66 mg C-3-GE/g DW), the irradiation determined an increase in anthocyanins synthesis, with the highest value being seen in the 20 Gy variant (2.8 ± 0.94 mg C-3-GE/g DW). According to UPLC-HRMS investigations, an unidentified compound increased by 99% at the 30 Gy dose in strawberry callus, while in smoketree, maslinic acid increased by 51% after irradiation with 40 Gy. The results of this study showed, for the first time, the differential response of two performant callus cultures to low-dose gamma irradiation, a biotechnological method that can be used to stimulate the synthesis of important flavonoids and triterpenes.

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