Terpinen-4-ol is overproduced in tissue cultures of Alpinia zerumbet (Pers.) Burtt et Smith by induction of methyl jasmonate

Abstract

Alpinia zerumbet (Zingiberaceae) presents a high medicinal value, in part by its production of volatile compounds. Organogenic in vitro cultures of A. zerumbet were treated with the elicitor methyl jasmonate (MeJA), a natural volatile signaling molecule in biotic and abiotic stress, and the effect was evaluated on the in vitro production of volatiles. Leaves of plantlets were subjected to simultaneous distillation-extraction (SDE), and sabinene, β-pinene, 1,8 cineole and terpinen-4-ol were the main volatiles detected. However, after exposure to a solution of of MeJA for 3 and 10 days, terpinen-4-ol showed a remarkable increase, corresponding to 18.01 and 14.75 %, respectively, when compared to control with ethanol. In contrast, exposure of plantlets to the addition of ethanol induced levels of sabinene and 1,8 cineole higher than those produced by MeJA.