Methylated flavones of the hairy root culture Scutellaria baicalensis

Abstract

Perennial plants in northern Dauria (Zabaikalsky region) grow in low temperatures in winter and in a dry hot summer. The prairies of northern Dauria are rich in a variety of medicinal herbs, including S. baicalensis, which has roots that are in demand for traditional Chinese medicine. In addition to two monomethylated flavones (wogonin and oroxylin A), determining the pharmacological significance of the root, there is also a minority of their polymethylated congeners. Little is known about their role in the plant or their connection with the conditions of growth and cultivation of their hairy root culture (HRC). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine whether and to what extent the biosynthesis of the latter is retained in the hairy root culture established from wild plants of Dauria. The composition of the main methylated flavones of HRC was established using LC-MS and a previously unknown pentamethylated flavone was found in the roots. This study showed a more significant accumulation of polymethylated flavones in the root of the wild plant than in HRC.

Keywords: Dauria ecosystem; Hairy root culture; LC–MS; Methylated flavones; S. baicalensis.