Growth and rutin production in hairy root cultures of buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum M.).

Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench.) is a potentially important source of rutin, a natural flavonoid with antihyperglycemic, antihypertensive, and antioxidative properties. To examine in vitro production of rutin, we established a hairy root culture of buckwheat by infecting leaf explants with Agrobacterium rhizogenes R1000, and tested the growth conditions and rutin production rates of these cultures. Ten hairy root clones were established; their growth and rutin production rates ranged from 233 to 312 (mg dry wt per 30 mL flask, and 0.8 to 1.2 (mg/g dry wt), respectively. Clone H8, which had high growth and rutin production rates (312 mg dry wt per 30 mL flask and 1.2 mg/g dry wt, respectively), was selected for further experiments. H8 showed maximal growth and rutin content at 30 days in culture in MS medium. Of four tested culture media, half-strength MS medium was found to induce the highest levels of growth (378 mg dry wt per 30 mL flask) and rutin production (1.4 mg/g dry wt) by clone H8. In contrast, supplementation with auxins (0.1-1 mg/l IAA, IBA and NAA) increased the growth rate, but had no significant effect on rutin production by H8. Collectively, these findings indicate that hairy root cultures of buckwheat culture could be a valuable alternative approach for rutin production.