Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Effect of Methyl Jasmonate and Silver Nanoparticles on Production of Secondary Metabolites by Calendula officinalis L (Asteraceae)

Faezeh Ghanati , Somyeh Bakhtiarian

Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of Biological Science, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran;

For correspondence:- Faezeh Ghanati Email: ghangia@modares.ac.ir Tel:+00982182884403

Received: 9 September 2013 Accepted: 4 September 2014 Published: 24 November 2014

Citation: Ghanati F, Bakhtiarian S. Effect of Methyl Jasmonate and Silver Nanoparticles on Production of Secondary Metabolites by Calendula officinalis L (Asteraceae). Trop J Pharm Res 2014; 13(11):1783-1789 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v13i11.2

© 2014 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the effects of two elicitors, methyl jasmonat (MeJA) and silver nanoparticles (SNPs), on the production of secondary metabolite by Calendula officinalis L (marigold).

Methods: For the extract of the aerial part of the plant, membrane lipid peroxidation rate and 2, 2G2;diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity were assessed along with total anthocyanin, flavonoid, chlorophyll, carotenoids and saponin content. The effect of C. officinalis L extract with and without SNPs and MeJA on HeLa cell viability was also evaluated by methylthiazol tetrazolium (MTT) assay.

Results: The presence of SNPs and MeJA in marigold extract increased membrane lipid peroxidation but decreased DPPH radical scavenging activity. Anthocyanin and flavonoid content also decreased in all the treatments investigated. Exposure to SNPs decreased chlorophyll and carotenoid content in the plant by 30 - 50 %, while MeJA increased them. In comparison with the control group, treatment with 0.4 mM SNPs and 100 µM MeJA increased saponin content in the plants by up to 177 %. Exposure of HeLa cells to the extracts of marigold significantly reduced their viability and this reduction was more pronounced when the plants were treated with MeJA and SNPs.

Conclusion: Treatment of C. officinalis L. with SNPs and MeJA seems to be a simple and cost-effective method of improving the medicinal properties of this plant.

Keywords: Calendula officinalis, Silver nanoparticles, Methyl jasmonate, Secondary metabolites, HeLa cells, Membrane lipid peroxidation, Radical scavenging