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Studies on flavanolignans from cultured cells of Silybum marianum

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Abstract

Callus and cell suspension cultures of Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. (Asteraceae) were established from in vitro germinated sterile plantlets. The cultures grew in Murashige and Skoog medium containing 1 mg l−1 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 0.1 mg l−1 kinetin. A reversed phase-high performance liquid chromatography method for determination of flavanolignans in plant material was developed using an isocratic solvent system comprising acetonitrile and water containing 0.5% (v/v) phosphoric acid. Silychristin was the major flavanolignan produced by the cultured cells followed by silydianin. Elicitation of cultured S. marianum cells with 100 μg ml−1 yeast extract increased silychristin production from 0.11 to 0.23 mg g−1 fresh weight. Free radical scavenging activity was tested for the cultured cells using 1,1-diphenyl picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical. Extract prepared from the cultured cells of S. marianum showed 48% inhibition compared to 55% inhibition of the extract prepared from the fruits. Cytotoxic activity was tested using liver carcinoma cell line (HEPG2). Cultured cells and fruit extracts showed a significant cytotoxic activity of IC50 = 1.01 and 0.47 μg, respectively. Extract of S. marianum cultured cells ameliorated the adverse effects of carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatic injury in rats and returned the altered levels of biochemical markers to near normal levels.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pharmacognosy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, 62111, Egypt

    Ahlam Elwekeel & Sameh AbouZid

  2. Pharmacognosy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, 11562, Egypt

    Nadia Sokkar & Ahlam Elfishway

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  1. Ahlam Elwekeel
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  2. Sameh AbouZid
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  3. Nadia Sokkar
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  4. Ahlam Elfishway
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sameh AbouZid.

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Communicated by S. Werbrouck.

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Elwekeel, A., AbouZid, S., Sokkar, N. et al. Studies on flavanolignans from cultured cells of Silybum marianum . Acta Physiol Plant 34, 1445–1449 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-012-0942-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-012-0942-x

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