Obtaining and Characteristics of Plant Cell Cultures of Аjuga turkestanica (Rgl.) - Producing of Phytoexdystroides

Callus cultures of Ajuga turkestanica (Rgl.) Briq. (Lamiaceae) were obtained from a wild plant, and the processes of morphogenesis in these cultures were studied. Depending on the hormonal composition of media, it is possible to obtain gemmogenesis or rhizogenesis in the first 6 to 8 growth cycles; after 10-15 growth cycles, the ability of morphogenesis was lost. Suspension cell cultures were initiated from some well-growing calluses. As a result, about one hundred calluses and suspension cell lines were obtained from the Ajuga turkestanica plant cells, a number of which were characterized by intensive growth and were analyzed by the HPLC-MS method for the presence of phytoecdysteroids. In most of the investigated lines, 20-hydroxyecdysone and turkesterone were found, the content of the first being 30-50 times higher than the second (in the most productive lines, 2.0-2.5 mg/g and 0.04-0.05 mg/g dry weight, respectively). An increase in the content of phytoecdysteroids in the in vitro cultivated cells by the end of the growing cycle was observed. However, phytoecdysteroids were not found in many of the obtained cell lines. Further research is needed to clarify the reasons for the presence or absence of phytoecdysteroids in Ajuga turkestanica plant cell cultures. Ajuga turkestanica, plant cell culture, growth regulators, differentiation, gemmogenesis, rhizogenesis, phytoecdysteroids, 20-hydroxy ecdysone, turkesterone The work was financially supported by the Russian Science Foundation (№ 16-14-00126).