Enhancing antioxidant and bioactive metabolite production in Carthamus tinctorius cell suspension culture through nano-elicitor mediated elicitation

Abstract

In this study, Se-doped CeO₂@Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized and applied to a Carthamus tinctorius (safflower) cell suspension culture using liquid medium (B5). The application of these NPs at various levels (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 mg L⁻¹) was studied for its effects on cell growth, physio-biochemical traits and antioxidative activities. The addition of NPs to the culture media significantly improved the cell biomass, antioxidant potential and phenolic contents. The addition of NPs at the rate of 15 mg L⁻¹ (T₃ treatment group) significantly improved the dry biomass of cells (128.72%), total chlorophyll contents (76.02%), and reduced levels of hydrogen peroxide (5.15%) and reactive oxygen (26.51%) compared to the control group (0 mg L⁻¹). Furthermore, this study identified 29 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the jasmonate signalling pathway. Notably, only the two DEGs from the MYC2 family showed mixed expression at different time points (6 h, 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h) following treatment with Se-doped CeO₂@Fe₃O₄ NPs. In conclusion, these findings demonstrate that this approach is effective, adaptable, biocompatible, and cost-efficient, offering a promising strategy for enhancing the production of antioxidant and bioactive metabolites in industrial-scale safflower cultivation.