Ji Yun Min

Rapid selection of catechin-rich tea trees (Camellia sinensis) by a colorimetric method

A rapid and efficient colorimetric method based on the use of Fast Blue B-salt (FBB) was established to select catechin-rich tea trees (Camellia sinensis L.). The catechin levels measured by the colorimetric method under optimized reaction conditions correlated closely with estimations by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. The FBB colorimetric method was successfully used to classify 160 tea trees on the basis of their catechin contents into rich and poor lines. HPLC analysis of the FBB-selected tea tree extracts showed them to contain (−)-epigallocatechin 186 mg/g in tea tree line HR-29, (−)-epicatechin 43.7 mg/g in HR-82, (−)-epigallocatechin gallate 4.32 mg/g in HR-29, and (−)-epicatechin gallate 0.22 mg/g in HR-52. Classification of tea trees from the Hadong region into catechin-rich and -poor trees was independent of the growing season. Thus the FBB colorimetric method could find application as a reliable tool in screening and selection of tea trees on the basis of their catechin content.

Production of Tropane Alkaloids during De-differentiation of Scopolia parviflora Calli

The production of tropane alkaloids during differentiation and de-differentiation of Scopolia parviflora calli was studied. Tropane alkaloid production drastically decreased during calli de-differentiation. Scopolamine (1) production decreased after 10 days of culture, whereas that of hyoscyamine (2) decreased during de-differentiation of root to calli. The production of 1 was enhanced in calli undergoing differentiation to shoot after 60 days of culture, reaching a maximum by 80 days. However, production of hyoscyamine in regenerated plants was lower. The expression level of hyoscyamine 6beta-hydroxylase (H6H), a key biosynthetic enzyme for tropane alkaloids, was significantly increased in 4-week-old calli. This study suggests that the biosynthesis of tropane alkaloids is regulated inversely in de-differentiating Scopolia parviflora calli.

Potassium chloride elicits enhancement of bilobalide and Ginkgolides production by Ginkgo biloba cell cultures

This study investigated the ability of potassium chloride (KCl) to elicit the production of bilobalide (BB), ginkgolide A (GA) and ginkgolide B (GB) by Ginkgo biloba cell suspension cultures. The salt stress by KCl treatments increased production of BB, GA and GB in both suspended cells and cultured medium. Especially, treatment of KCl 800 mM of highest concentration was stimulated emission into cultured medium BB, GA and GB compounds accumulated in cells. Although KCl 800 mM severely inhibited cells growth, the maximum content of GA and GB in cells was obtained in the treatment of KCl 800 mM, which was 1.9 and 4.0 times higher than the control. These results thus suggest that salt stress can afford enhanced production of secondary metabolites by plant cell cultures.

Enhancing Production of Terpenoids in Metabolically Engineered Transgenic Spearmint (Mentha spicata L.) by Salt and Fungal Elicitors

Abstract Forest tree species usually takes for long periods to be harvested and cultivated but spearmints are a good model system for woody plant because of reducing and shortening cultivation time. Spearmints are good model plants (Mentha species) for research about terpenoids production and industrial essential oil manufacture. Isopentenyl pyrophosphate isomerase (Iso) and limonene synthase (Limo) are the key enzymes of terpenoid biosynthesis pathway. Transgenic and wild spearmints (Mentha spicata, MS) were cultured in vitro and assessed for the essential oil contents. The content of essential oil of transgenic spearmint also was enhanced slightly depending on the target terpenoid genes. In an attempt to increase productivity of terpenoids further, salt and fungal elicitation strategy was adopted on transgenic Mentha spicata. The salt (800 mM NaCl) as abiotic and two fungi (Botrytis cinerea and Glomerella cingulata) as biotic were used for elicitors. In the absence of salt stress four terpenoids were detected from the spearmint extracts, all of them being monoterpenes. On the other hand, the transgenic (MSIso) extracts contained eleven terpenoids (10 monoterpenes and 1 phenylpropene) while transgenic (MSLimo) extracts contained seven monoterpenes. After 3 days of fungal infection, the resistance indices further increased to 4.38, 3.89 and 2.04 for wild type, MSIso and MSLimo, respectively. The salt and fungal elicitators proved beneficial towards modifying both the terpenoids profile and improvement in the composition of essential oil. These results have important applications for the large-scale production of essential oils and forest biotechnology with respect to spearmint.Key Words: Essential oils, Elicitors, Forest biotechnology, Metabolically engineered transgenic spearmint, Terpenoids

Essential Oil Yields and Chemical Compositions of Chamaecyparis obtuse Obtained from Various Populations and Environmental Factors

Abstract Essential oil yields and chemical compositions from 5 populations of Chamaecyparis obtusa with several environmental factors were investigated through essential oil extracted distillation apparatus and metabolite profiling by GC-MS analysis. Among the populations, content of essential oil at Gokseong was significantly higher than other populations. To compare the several environmental factors affecting on chemical composition and essential oil yields from C. obtuse at Gokseong, the environmental factors (soil condition, temperature, humidity, and moisture content) were measured during 1 year. The essential oils at Goksung based on humidity on March, July, and November was significantly different from other months. The essential oils at Goksung based on temperature on July and August was significantly different from other months. The essential oils at Goksung based on the moisture content on September were significantly different from other months. The percentage of T-N, OM, and yield of oil at Gokseong were significantly different on from other populations. The main constituents of C. obtusa at all populations were α-pinene, β-pinene, α-terpinene, γ-terpinene, terpinene-4-ol, isobonyl acetate, terpinyl acetate, and cedar acetate. Specially, Essential oil compositions (%) of α-terpinene and cedar acetate were higher at Gokseong than at other populations. The chemical compositions of essential oils were variable depend on populations and environmental conditions. Therefore, this study might be used as fundamental research on study for selection of high productive terpenoids and for understanding about biosynthesis of essential oils in C. obtusa.Key Words: Chamaecyparis obtusa, chemical composition, essential oil yields, environmental factors, terpenoids