The Methyl Jasmonat Elicitaion and Taxol Production in Corylus avellana L., under Invitro Culture Condition

Hazelnut (Corylus avellana) is a species belonging to the genus Corylus. Its various segments contain different metabolites with very valuable medicinal, anti-microbial and anti-cancer properties.

The present study was done to investigation the optimal conditions for hazelnut plants regenerated from cotyledon as explants and invitrotaxol production.

Cotyledon segments were cultured on MS medium containing 2,4-D concentrations of 0, 0.5 and 1 mgl-1 alone or in combination with concentrations of 0, 0.5 and mgl-1 BA for callus induction. For regeneration, Calli were sub-cultured to the same medium and or transferred to the MS medium containing BA at concentrations of 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2 and 3 mgl-1 Callus was formed in all hormonal treatments. The ability of taxol production in calli was evaluated by adding methyl jasmonat in 0, 10, 40, 70, 100, 130 and 160 µM concentrations.

In hormonal treatment including 0.5 mgl-1 2.4-D regeneration was observed. The highest Taxol content (16.7 mg/KgDW) was obtained by adding 130 µM methyl jasmoante against of 4.3 mg/KgDW in control condition. In regenerative treatments maximum number of regenerated shoot (2.5) was in 1 mgl-1 BA. The regenerated shoots were rooted in MS medium containing 2 mg NAA in combination with 0.5 mgl-1 BA. After rooting process, the plantlets with suitable growth (10 cm length) were planted in the mixture of perlite: peat: cocopit in a 1:2:1 ratio and than were placed in a box with a humidity of 90%. The adapted plants were transferred to greenhouse after 4 weeks.

This study can be applied as an effective method for callus induction in order to establishment of suspension culture to taxol production and also results can be useful for regeneration of transgenic calli.