Determination of phenolic antioxidant compounds produced by calli and cell suspensions of sage (Salvia officinalis L.)

Sage (Salvia officinalis L.) calli were established by culturing internodal segments, excised from aseptic seedlings, on MS basal medium gellied with agar and supplemented with 0.05 mg/L dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) in presence of benzyladenine (BA) or zeatin (ZEA) or kinetin (KIN), at 1.5 mg/L. Suspended cells were established by transferring one callus to 50 mL of liquid MS basal medium devoid of agar and containing the same type of hormonal supplementation used in respective calli growth. The highest growth of calli and suspensions occurred with 1.5mg/L ZEA. However, with this cytokinin supplementation, as well as with 1.5 mg/L KIN, both in presence of 0.05 mg/L 2,4-D, suspensions differentiated small root shaped structures. Well shaped, majority single cell suspensions were formed under the effect of 0.05 mg/L 2,4-D and 0.5 mg/L KIN. Calli grown with 0.05 mg/L 2,4-D and 1.5 mg/L BA and suspended cells grown with 0.05 mg/L 2,4-D and ZEA or KIN at 1.5 mg/L, or KIN at 0.5 mg/L, were searched for phenolics production. Twelve phenolic compounds were identified in calli: gallic; acid, 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid, 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid, caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, hesperetin, epirosmanol, hispidulin, genkwanin, carnosol, carnosic; acid, and methyl carnosate. With the exception for genkwanin and epirosmanol all of these phenolic compounds were also produced by the sage suspension cultures grown in the presence of 1.5 or 0.5 mg/L KIN. Genkwanin was the only phenolic absent in the suspensions grown with 1.5 ZEA. Suspended cells, grown with 0.5mg/L KIN, and calli cultures showed the highest specific accumulation of the total phenolics, with rosmarinic acid representing 94-97%.