[Effects of carbon source and nitrogen source on callus growth and flavonoid content in Glycyrrhiza uralensis].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of carbon source and nitrogen source on callus growth, and flavonoid content in Glycyrrhiza uralensis. METHOD: Induction and culture of callus were conducted in the media of different concentrations of sucrose, and fructose and ratio of NH4+/NO3- ,and flavonoid content was measured by HPLC. RESULT: The results showed that fructose was superior to sucrose for callus growth and flavonoid formation, and the optimum concentration was 2%. The flavonoids content was 2 times higher than that of sucrose as carbon sources. In the range of 2% -6% of fructose concentration, the flavonoid content was decreased along with the concentration of fructose, but the licochalcone was increased 5-fold. The highest flavonoid content of 151.47 microg x g(-1) was obtained when the ratio of NH4+/NO3- in the medium was 1/2. NH; inhibited the callus growth and flavonoid formation of G. uralensis. CONCLUSION: Fructose as carbon source was superior to sucrose for callus growth and flavonoid formation, and NO3- was favorable to the callus growth and flavonoids accumulation.