Pak. J. Bot., 47(3): 897-904, 2015.

EFFECTS OF METHYL-JASMONATE ON 9-METHOXYCANTHIN-6-ONE CONTENT IN EURYCOMA LONGIFOLIA (TONGKAT ALI) ROOT CULTURE

FAM MAY CHEE1, XAVIER RATHINAM1, MONICA DANIAL2, CHAN KIT LAM3, MA HAI QUI3 AND SREERAMANAN SUBRAMANIAM2*

Abstract: Eurycoma longifolia is a flowering plant from the Simaroubaceae family and it has been identified as one of the most intriguing medicinal plants in Malaysia. In the present study, the production of 9-methoxycanthin-6-one, an alkaloid compound was determined with various methyl-jasmonate (MeJA) concentrations using root culture via liquid system. Quantification of 9-methoxycanthin-6-one was confirmed by using thin layer chromatography (TLC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Quantitative analysis using HPLC displayed highest concentration of 9-methoxycanthin-6- one content in the absence of MeJA treatment (control) followed by increasing concentrations of MeJA (1, 10 and 100 μM). Microanatomical analysis using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) has shown that root hair morphology of E.longifolia does not change significantly, whereas roots hair displayed rough surfaces with increases MeJA concentrations. Therefore,

1AIMST University, Jalan Bedong, Semeling 08100, Bedong, Kedah Darul Aman, Malaysia

2School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Minden Heights, 11800 Penang, Malaysia

3School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Minden Heights, 11800 Penang, Malaysia.

*Corresponding author’s e-mail: sreeramanan@gmail.com