Comparison of the Effect of Different Fungal Elicitors on Rubia Tinctorum L. Suspension Culture.

The effect of two elicitor types prepared from three different fungi on the alizarin content and the ultrastructure of Rubia tinctorum cells was studied. The de novo alizarin synthesis took place predominantly during the first day of treatment then it was followed by a constant release of alizarin into the medium. The alkalinization of the medium was similar in every treatment. The number of the living cells did not changed during 24-h elicitor treatments, but it decreased significantly after 96 h. The appearance of vacuolar bodies, and the change of the plasmalemmasome structure from vesiculo-reticular to reticulo-lamellar were the most typical morphological syndromes due to elicitation. Phytium elicitor proved to be the least effective, and Botrytis elicitor seemed to be the most effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]