Effects of exogenous CO on the accumulation of -ecdysterone in Ajuga sp.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an important signaling molecule in plants and has a regulatory role in many physiological processes. In the present study, the screened high-yield -ecdysterone suspension cells coming from the root of Ajuga multiflora and Ajuga lobata were used as the main experiment materials to study the effects of carbon monoxide (CO) on accumulation of -ecdysone. Different concentrations of hemin were added in the A. lobata root suspension cells culture respectively. The result showed that hemin increased the systhesis of -ecdysone. The treatment with 8 molL-1 hemin for 8-day had the best inducing effect (P0.05) on the accumulation of -ecdysone which improved by 80.82% comparing with that of control after hemin treatment. These researches will enrich the theory of elicitor and signal molecular on secondary metabolite regulation and provide the theory basis and the technical support for large-scale -ecdysone production.