Obtaining and Characterization of Suspension Cell Culture of Alhagi persarum Boiss. et Buhse: a Producer of Isoflavonoids

Suspension cell culture of camel’s thorn Alhagi persarum Boiss. et Buhse was produced for the first time and its characteristics were determined under different growing conditions (flasks and bubble bioreactors with useful volume of 15 L). The obtained culture was notable for an intense growth (accumulation of dry biomass of 15–20 g/L, growth index of 11–16, and specific growth rate of 0.15 ± 0.01 d–1), with growth characteristics in bioreactors close to parameters observed in flasks. Qualitative composition of secondary metabolites in biomass of this cell culture grown in flasks was preliminarily examined by means of ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS). Isoflavones from different structural groups were detected: free isoflavones (an isomer of afrormosin), glycosides of isoflavones (glycosides of calycosin and formononetin), and acylated glycosides of isoflavones (malonyl glycosides of calycosin, formononetin, genistein, and the isomer of afrormosin). Extracts from biomass of A. рersarum suspension cell culture grown in flasks were tested for antimicrobial activity. Staphylococcus aureus АТСС 25923 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa АТСС 27853 were used as test cultures. Extracts showed a specific antimicrobial activity in respect to S. aureus but were inactive to P. aeruginosa. Thus, the obtained cell culture of A. persarum is a promising object for further examination with a potential of using as an alternative raw material and a source of biologically active compounds characteristic of this species.