Ploidy level-induced changes in production of lignans, flavonoids, and phenolic acids in Linum album callus culture

Induced autopolyploidy is noticed as an effective method for increasing the production of some secondary metabolites in medicinal plans. Linum album is a valuable medicinal plant which is rich in some lignan compounds with antiviral and anticancer properties such as, podophyllotoxin. In this study, the effect of autotetraploid induction on the production of some lignans, phenolic acids, and flavonoids derived from the phenylpropanoid pathway was investigated through L. album callus culture. Tetraploid calli were obtained from the leaves of the induced autotetraploid L. album, and its ploidy stability was confirmed using flow cytometry after several subcultures. Chromosome doubling or tetraploidy caused a significant increase in the production of lignan (pinoresinol), folic acids (caffeic acid, coumaric acid, and ferulic acid) and flavonoids (myricetin, naringenin, and catechin) measured in the callus culture, while it had no significant effect on the production of other lignans (larisiresinol and podophyllotoxin). It was concluded that autotetraploid induction could be an effective method to increasing the production of some secondary metabolites in L. album callus.