Genetic (in)stability in Hypericum perforatum L.: physiological and induced sources of genetic variation
Eva CELLAROVA, Matus SKYBA, Jan KOSUTH
PAVOL JOZEF SAFARIK UNIVERSITY IN KOSICE, FACULTY OF SCIENCE, INSTITUTE OF BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY, MANESOVA 23, 04154 KOSICE, SLOVAKIA
Introduction
Medicinal plants from the genus Hypericum, especially H. perforatum that is the most studied one from about 450 species, are attracting considerable interest for centuries. Modern pharmacological studies demonstrate high efficacy of some metabolites, namely naphthodianthrones and phloroglucinols with a wide range of activities and sometimes with insufficiently defined pharmaceutical function. Despite the importance of plant secondary metabolites and several decades research the knowledge of secondary metabolite pathways and their regulation remains very limited. Consequently, knowledge on genes encoding for key enzymes of the secondary metabolite pathways is at the beginning so far. However, an availability of gene sequences with a role in secondary metabolite biosynthesis and their regulation are crucial for manipulation of the plant’s ability to synthesize natural products and thus provide a biotechnological alternative for their production.
This all suggests for further detail biological and genetic studies of the genus/species. The inconsistent chemical profiles are a result of genetics related to secondary metabolite biosynthesis, physiology and plant-environmental interactions.
In early nineties of the last century when new activities of a dianthrone hypericin, such as anticancer and antiviral have been reported, Hypericum perforatum L. as a natural source of hypericin has develop into a model species for biotechnological and genetic studies in our laboratory(Kumar and Sopory eds 2010).
Eva CELLAROVA, Matus SKYBA, Jan KOSUTH
PAVOL JOZEF SAFARIK UNIVERSITY IN KOSICE, FACULTY OF SCIENCE, INSTITUTE OF BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY, MANESOVA 23, 04154 KOSICE, SLOVAKIA
Introduction
Medicinal plants from the genus Hypericum, especially H. perforatum that is the most studied one from about 450 species, are attracting considerable interest for centuries. Modern pharmacological studies demonstrate high efficacy of some metabolites, namely naphthodianthrones and phloroglucinols with a wide range of activities and sometimes with insufficiently defined pharmaceutical function. Despite the importance of plant secondary metabolites and several decades research the knowledge of secondary metabolite pathways and their regulation remains very limited. Consequently, knowledge on genes encoding for key enzymes of the secondary metabolite pathways is at the beginning so far. However, an availability of gene sequences with a role in secondary metabolite biosynthesis and their regulation are crucial for manipulation of the plant’s ability to synthesize natural products and thus provide a biotechnological alternative for their production.
This all suggests for further detail biological and genetic studies of the genus/species. The inconsistent chemical profiles are a result of genetics related to secondary metabolite biosynthesis, physiology and plant-environmental interactions.
In early nineties of the last century when new activities of a dianthrone hypericin, such as anticancer and antiviral have been reported, Hypericum perforatum L. as a natural source of hypericin has develop into a model species for biotechnological and genetic studies in our laboratory(Kumar and Sopory eds 2010).
But the chemistry of this plant is quite astounding. I have copied two the chemical formulae below from Wikipedia. The first, Hypericin, is polynuclear and aromatics, but fortunately not a hydrocarbon, because PAHs are among the "baddies" in cigarette smoke. To its formula I've added colours, pink to indicate the fully aromatic benzene-like rings, which occur in two "phenanthrene-like" triplets, and blue to indicate the two "quinone-like" rings. The second formula is of Hyperforin, which I include because it's "wierd and wonderful".
Above: Hypericin
Below: Hyperforin