Methyl jasmonate enhances the anti-inflammatory effects of the adventitious roots in Abeliophyllum distichum by increasing the production of polyphenolic compounds

Abeliophyllum distichum has been demonstrated to possess anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-osteoporotic, and anti-obesity effects. However, there is a limitation to using this shrub as a beneficial material, because this shrub had been listed as endangered. Thus, we established an adventitious root culture of A. distichum (AdAR) to overcome this limitation. Solvent-solvent partition fractions from methanol extract of methyl jasmonate (MeJA)-elicited AdAR were used, and the ethyl acetate fraction of MeJA-treated AdAR (EtOAc/MeJA) exhibited strong anti-inflammatory effects in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated RAW264.7 cells. EtOAc/MeJA downregulated the transcription of pro-inflammatory genes and mediators by inhibiting the LPS-activated MEK/ERK signaling pathway. In addition, the results of the phytochemical analysis suggested that MeJA induced the accumulation of polyphenolic compounds, including p-coumaric and ferulic acids, by inducing phenylpropanoid biosynthetic genes in AdAR. These results suggested that AdAR is a viable source for overcoming limitations in the industrial use of A. distichum.

Keywords: Abeliophyllum distichum, Adventitious root, Anti-inflammatory effect, Methyl jasmonate, Polyphenolic compound.