1H-NMR-based metabolomic of plant cell suspension cultures of Thevetia peruviana treated with salicylic acid and methyl jasmonate

Abstract

The metabolomic profile of plant cell suspension cultures of T. peruviana treated with salicylic acid (SA), methyl jasmonate (MeJA), and their combination (SA + MeJA) was determined using proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR and J-Resolved) and multivariate data analysis (MVDA). The qualitative and quantitative variations in the metabolite pool were detected by comparing control cells suspensions against cells suspensions treated with elicitors, 24–144 h after treatment. MVDA showed a clear separation between control and treatments conditions. The MeJA caused a metabolic reprogramming in cells that affected primary metabolism and phenolic biosynthesis at 72 h after elicitor addition. Upon MeJA elicitation, glucose, proline and glutamine content increased while sucrose content decreased. These metabolic responses could be important for obtaining energy, carbon skeletons, and equivalent redox (NADPH) necessary for de novo phenolic compounds biosynthesis. Benzyl-glucosides, chlorogenic, ferulic and phenylacetic acid were the principal phenolic compounds identified upon MeJA-treatment. Combination of SA and MeJA showed that SA reverted the effect of MeJA on T. peruviana metabolism, specifically on phenolic biosynthesis. These results could allow us to identify hot spots susceptible to stimulate phenolic compounds production of pharmaceutical interest in cell suspension cultures of T. peruviana.