Effect of nano elicitors on alkaloids production and genes expression in Papaver orientale suspension culture

Plant cell cultures have emerged as potential sources of secondary metabolites. Elicitors play an important role in challenging the plant defense system and altering the secondary metabolite production. Alkaloids are secondary metabolites that have been used as medicine since ancient times. Many Papaver species contain alkaloids such as papaverine, noscapine, morphine and codeine. In this study, we investigated the expression level of genes involved in the biosynthesis of alkaloids in suspension culture of Papaver orientale L. 24 and 48 hours after treatment by nano-Ag and nano-TiO2 with qRT-PCR. qRT-PCR analysis showed that DBOX, SDR, COR and CODM expression were significantly up-regulated at 24 h and 48 h in silver nanoparticles treatment while SaLAT and T6ODM down- regulated. Nano-TiO2 caused up-regulation of DBOX, COR and CODM after 48 h but SDR, SaLAT and T6ODM expression considerably up-regulated at 24 h. The high-performance liquid chromatography analysis indicated the nano-Ag is more effective than nano-TiO2 that increased papaverine, noscapine and morphine respectively 19-fold, 1.88-fold and 3.12-fold in comparison with control 48 h after treatment. This finding indicates that we can use the cell suspension culture of Papaver orientale L. as source of important alkaloids particular morphin and noscapine.