Salicylic and Hydroxybenzoic Acids Affect the Accumulation of Phenolic Compounds in Tea-Plant Cultures in vitro

Abstract

The short-term effects of salicylic and p-hydroxybenzoic acids on the tea plant Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze for in vitro cultures were studied. It was found that the acids did not change the morphophysiological parameters of the callus cultures. Meanwhile, the content of malondialdehyde and phenolic compounds, including their monomeric (phenylpropanoids and flavans) and oligomeric (proanthocyanidins) forms, decreased with an increase in the amount of lignin (polymer of phenolic nature) in the treated calli. The activity of L-phenylalanine ammonia lyase (the chief enzyme of phenilic metabolism) did not change upon exposure to p-hydroxybenzoic but decreased after contact with salicylic acid.