Effect of methyl jasmonate and salicylic acid on the production of metabolites in cell suspensions cultures of Piper cumanense (Piperaceae)

Elicitation of cell suspensions culture is a strategy that could increase the production of secondary metabolites under controlled conditions. This research evaluated the effect of methyl jasmonate-MeJA and salicylic acid-SA as elicitors on the production of metabolites in cell suspensions of P. cumanense. The type of elicitor (MeJA or SA), the concentration of elicitor (10 μM and 100 μM), and time of exposition (3, 12, 24 h) on cell suspension were evaluated. Metabolic profiles of intracellular and extracellular extracts were analyzed by UHPLC-DAD and GC–MS. Differential production of metabolites was dependent on the type of elicitor, its concentration, and the time of exposition. Treatments with 100 μM SA were conducted to high production of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (6.3 %), phenol (6.5 %), and (Z)-9-octadecenamide (8.8 %). This is the first report of elicitation on cell suspensions in the Piper genus and contributes to understanding the effect of MeJA and SA on metabolite production in plant cell culture.