Stimulation of asiaticoside accumulation in the whole plant cultures of Centella asiatica (L.) urban by elicitors.

The effects of a number of different elicitors on asiaticoside production in whole plant cultures of Centella asiatica were studied, including yeast extract, CdCl(2), CuCl(2) and methyl jasmonate (MJ). Only MJ and yeast extract stimulated asiaticoside production--1.53 and 1.41-fold, respectively. Maximum asiaticoside production was achieved following treatment with 0.1 mM MJ (116.8 mg/l). The highest asiaticoside production (342.72 mg/l) was obtained after 36 days of elicitation in cultures treated with 0.1 mM MJ and 0.025 mg/l 1-phenyl-3-(1,2,3-thidiazol-5-yl)urea (TDZ). Interestingly, MJ not only stimulated the production of asiaticoside but also had an important role in the senescence of C. asiatica. Although asiaticoside content did not change when TDZ was added to medium containing an elicitor, TDZ did increase shoot growth of C. asiatica. We discuss the interactive roles of MJ and TDZ in secondary metabolic production and biomass in whole plants of C. asiatica.