Influence of methyl jasmonate and salicylic acid treatment on the antioxidant ‎enzyme changes, expression of‏ ‏bapt‏ ‏and biosynthesis of taxanes in in vitro plantlets ‎of hazelnut cv ‘Segorb’ ‎

Taxol is a phytochemical medicine which is used as a chemothrapy medication to treat several cancers. The hazelnut has been suggested as alternative source of taxol and has gained much attention. In this study, the influence of two elicitors, methyl jasmonate and salicylic acid was applied on hazelnut cv. ‘Segorb’ plantlets originated from in vitro condition. The activation of antioxidant enzymes such as PAL, catalase, PPO, SOD as well as hydrogen peroxide content was studied. Also, this research was carried out intending to evaluate txs, dbat and bapt gene expression, biosynthesis and production of taxanes. The investigations of antioxidant enzyme activities and H2O2 content were indicated the significant effects of such elicitors on increasing H2O2 content and the subsequent rise in catalase activity. txs and dbat genes in hazelnut ‘Segorb’ cultivar did not express. The highest expression of bapt was observed during the second day of treatment with 0.1 mM of SA and 0.1 mM metyljasmonate, while the highest amount of taxanes detected was after treatment with metyljasmonate at 0.1mM, SA at 0.2 and 0.1 mM, receptively, where taxanes detection demonstrated an 8-fold increase compared to the control. Overall, the content of taxanes on the 2 th to 16th day was higher than control. The highest amount of 10-deacetyltaxol and taxol was detected on day 4 after elicitor application. In conclusion, two elicitors metyljasmonate and salicylic acid caused to increase relative gene expression of bapt.