Hairy root induction in chicory for secondary metabolites production

Hairy root cultures are an effective method for production of secondary metabolites, because the hairy roots are genetically and biologically stable and they are able to produce metabolite within a short time without needs to hormone. Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) is one of the important medicinal plants that contains a number of important medicinal compounds. In this research, hairy root induction was established through the mediation of the ATCC11325 strain of Agrobacterium rhizogenes. In first experiment, the effects of type and age of explant and co-culture times on the efficiency of hairy root induction were investigated. In the second experiment, we studied the effect of different hairy root lines on growth rate. In third experiment, the effects of various concentration of NAA (0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 mg/l) and sucrose (3, 4, 5 and 6%) on biomass accumulation were investigated. Results showed that maximum hairy root induction (75.55 percent) and number of roots (7.26 roots per explant) obtained from 5-day-old cotyledons. The results revealed that 1.5 mg l-1 NAA in combination with 3 and 4% sucrose were superior for highest fresh (1.4 and 1.3 g) and dry weight (0.107 and 0.100 g) productivity and growth index (21.42 and 19.96). The highest total phenolic content (6.76 mg g-1 DW) and flavonoid content in 270 nm wavelengths was observed in hairy roots that were grown in medium supplemented with 1.5 mg l-1 NAA and 4% sucrose while the maximum flavonoid content in 300 and 330 wavelengths was achieved in 1.5 mg l-1 NAA and 5% sucrose.