In Vitro Inducted Tetraploid Nakai ex F. Maek. Alters Polyphenol Species and Synthesis.

Nakai ex F. Maek. has been employed in traditional Chinese medicine for millennia. Nevertheless, the small size and the paucity of research on its pharmacological effects have restricted its extensive utilisation in clinical medicine. Polyploid breeding represents an effective method for the rapid enhancement of plant biomass and metabolites. In this study, the most effective in vitro method for inducing tetraploid formation was identified as axillary buds treated in a solution of colchicine at a concentration of 1% for 24 h. Meanwhile, a comparison between tetraploids and diploids yielded two significant findings: (1) The presence of 6-zonocolpate and 8-zonocolpate pollen grains can be used as distinguishing characteristics for diploid and tetraploid, respectively. (2) Genome duplication resulted in alterations to the polyphenol species and synthesis pathway in . The accumulation of wogonin, oroxylin A, baicalin, chrysin, acacetin and related derivatives was markedly greater in tetraploid plants, whereas apigenin, naringenin, scutellarein and related derivatives were found to accumulate to a greater extent in diploid plants. It is noteworthy that wogonin and oroxylin A were uniquely detected in tetraploids, indicating that the generated tetraploids may harbor novel pharmacological value. The findings not only provided new insights into the metabolic mechanism of polyploidisation but also established a foundation for the selection and breeding of novel genetic resources of .