Abstract

Background: There is a research gap about applying titania–graphene oxide (GO-TiO2) nanocomposite and coronatine as elicitors in the cell suspension culture of T. baccata.

Objective: The effects of two elicitors of GO-TiO₂ (30 μg/L) and coronatine (10 μM) were examined to improve the production of five different taxanes in the cell suspension culture of T. baccata.

Methods: The suspension culture was prepared from the callus of T. baccata stems explant. Next, both elicitors of coronatine (10 μM) and GO-TiO₂ (30 μg/L) were applied, sampling occurred 2, 4, 16 days after elicitation, and all five taxanes were quantified using HPLC.

Results: The amounts of 10-DAB III ranged from 0.84 mg/L (for control) to 9.17 mg/L (day 16 after elicitation with GO-TiO₂). The production of BAC III ranged from zero (for control) to 7.69 mg/L (day 4 with GO-TiO₂). The maximum production of 10-deacetyltaxol was observed in control on day 16 with the amount of 1.85 mg/L, followed by a lower level of 0.825 mg/L on day 2 with coronatine treatment. Considering cephalomannine, only elicitation of GO-TiO₂ over all three different sampling times (i.e., days 2, 4, and 16) resulted in sensible quantities. The maximum magnitudes of taxol were acquired when GO-TiO₂ was applied on day 4 and day 16 (1.345 mg/L and 0.965 mg/L, respectively).

Conclusion: The results indicated the potential positive effects of both elicitors, particularly GOTiO₂ nanocomposite, to improve taxanes production.

Keywords: Taxus baccata, TiO₂/graphene nanocomposite, coronatine, taxanes, taxol, chemotherapy.