Agrobacterium rhizogenes mediated transformation of Ficus carica l. for the efficient production of secondary metabolites.

Ficus carica L. as an ancient source of food and medicines is rich in valuable nutritional and secondary compounds with antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticancer activities. The present study is the first attempt to examine hairy root (HR) induction of F. carica (Sabz and Siah) by inoculating the three-week-old shoots and leaves with different strains of Agrobacterium rhizogenes and also investigate the methyl jasmonate (MeJA) elicitation of HRs to reach a fast and high yield production method for secondary metabolites.

The maximum transformation rate (100%) was achieved by inoculating the shoots with Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain A7. Siah HRs elicited with 100 and 200 μM MeJA and Sabz HRs with 100 μM MeJA showed the highest total phenolic content. The highest flavonoid content was 3.935 mg QE g^-1 DW in Siah HRs treated with 200 μM MeJA and 2.762 mg QE g^-1 DW in Sabz HRs treated with 300 μM MeJA. The 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) value of HRs were impressed by MeJA. MeJA elicitation also significantly enhanced the content of six phenolic acids, including gallic acid, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, coumaric acid, rosmarinic acid and cinnamic acid as well as three flavonoids, including rutin, quercetin and apigenin. Thymol, a monoterpene phenol, was as the main detected HR compound in GC-MS analysis of the essential oil.

Induction hairy roots and elicitation of F. carica HRs by MeJA resulted in a significant increase in production of important phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.