Jasmonic acid-induced hypericin production in cell suspension cultures of Hypericum perforatum L. (St. John's wort)

Hypericum perforatum L. (St. John's wort) is an herbal remedy widely used in the treatment of mild to moderate depression. Hypericin, a photosensitive napthodianthrone, is believed to be the compound responsible for reversing the depression symptoms. In this study, novel in vitro cell culture systems of H. perforatum were used to monitor the effect of elicitation on cell growth and production of hypericin. A dramatic increase in cell growth and hypericin production was observed after exposure to jasmonic acid (JA). However, other elicitors such as salicylic acid (SA) and fungal cell wall elicitors failed to show any stimulatory effect on either cell growth or hypericin production. Cell cultures treated with JA and incubated in the dark showed increased growth and hypericin production as compared to the cultures grown under light conditions. Jasmonate induction in dark conditions played an important role in growth and hypericin production in cell suspension cultures, to our knowledge an undocumented observation. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.