| Abstract: | Cell suspension cultures of Silybum marianum L. Gaertn (Compositae) produce silymarin, a mixture of flavonolignans. In an attempt to increase cell growth and silymarin production, we exposed cell cultures to various levels of Ag+ (0.2, 0.4, 0.8, 1, and 2?mM) for different exposure times (12, 24, 48, 72, 144, and 216?h). A dramatic increase in cell growth was observed after 12?h in media supplemented with 0.2, 0.4, 0.8, and 1?mM Ag+, and the value in medium treated by 1?mM Ag+ after 72?h was 7.21?g, which was about two-fold that of the control (3.32?g). The highest silymarin production reached about 56 μg g?1 DW, 24?h after treatment with Ag+ (0.8?mM), which was 30-fold that of the control. Silybin, isosilybin, silychristin, silydianin, and taxifolin were abundant flavonolignans. Ag+ in low concentrations is a positive elicitor for cell growth and silymarin production in cell suspension cultures of Silybum marianum. |
