Comparative research on progesterone 5ß-reductase gene expression and cardenolide production of in vitro propagated and natural habitat plants of Digitalis trojana

In this research, gene expression of progesterone 5ß-reductase which plays a key role in the biosynthesis of cardenolides, was determinated and compared between natural plants collected in May and July from Kazdagı Mountain in different locations and in vitro propagated plants of Digitalis trojana Ivan. an endemic plant of Kazdagı Mountain.In addition that, micropropagation of D. trojana was carried out. MS medium supplemented with 0,1 mg/l NAA and 3 mg/l BAP can be used as a shoot induction medium from leaf explants.Cardenolides were extracted from basal leaves of plants by solid phase extraction and lanatoside C, digoxin, digitoxin and gitoxigenin contents in plants determinated by HPLC. HPLC analyses show that the plants collected in July presented lanatoside C, digoxin, digitoxin and gitoxigenin (?g/g dry wt) contents higher than the plants collected in May. Also, cardenolides contents of plants show variations by height. In addition, 12-weeks-old plants that in vitro propagated in MS medium supplemented with 1 mg/l NAA ve 5 mg/l BAP were contained lanatoside C (10,288 ?g/g dry wt) and digoxin (2,068 ?g/g dry wt).