Available online www.jocpr.com Journal of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Research, 2015, 7(1):829-832 Research Article ISSN : 0975-7384 CODEN(USA) : JCPRC5 829 Production of saponarin in in vitro cultures of Gypsophila species P. Zdraveva a , I. Pencheva b , P. Popova a , I. Ionkova a and I. Krasteva a* a Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Sofia, 2 Dunav St., 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria b Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Sofia, 2 Dunav St., 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria _____________________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT Phytochemical examination of Gypsophila species revealed the presence of various groups of biological active compounds such as triterpene saponins, flavonoids, sterols and volatiles. The main component of the flavonoid fraction in G. elegans and G. trichotoma is saponarin which hepatoprotective activity that is comparable to those of silymarin. In vitro cultures are often utilized to improve both biomass and secondary metabolite production. Four factors: the homogeneity of an in vitro cell population, the large availability of material, the high rate of cell growth and the good reproducibility, make the in vitro cultured cells suitable for production of valuable compounds. Therefore the aim of our study was to induce in vitro cultures of three species – Gypsophila trichotoma, G. altissima and G. paniculata – and determine the amount of saponarin produced. For the first time we initiated and maintained shoots and callus cultures obtained from in vitro germinated seeds. All in vitro cultures of Gypsophila species produced saponarin. Analysis was performed with an optimized HPLC method. The highest amount of saponarin was determined in the shoot cultures of G. trichotoma – 2.26 %. Rapidly growing cell lines were selected to increase the efficiency of saponarin production. These results could provide a practical means for cultivation of this plant species with medical importance and for further applications. Key words: Gypsophila trichotoma, G. altissima, G. paniculata, saponarin, in vitro cell cultures _____________________________________________________________________________________________ INTRODUCTION Flavonoids are the largest and most important group of polyphenolic compounds synthesized by plants with many potent biological properties. Over the past decade, scientists have become increasingly interested in the potential for various dietary flavonoids to explain some of the health benefits associated with fruit- and vegetable-rich diets. Flavonoids are universally present as constituents of flowering plants, particularly of food plants. The high intake of foods and beverages rich in polyphenols, especially in flavonoids, has been associated with decreased risk of neoplasms. The use of flavonoids for prevention and cure of human diseases is already widespread. These aspects made flavonoids an interesting object for industrial production. Phytochemical examination of genus Gypsophila revealed the presence of various groups of biological active compounds such as triterpene saponins, flavonoids, sterols and volatiles [1-3]. Until now only two Gypsophila species – G. elegans and G. trichotoma – have been reported to contain saponarin (apigenin-6-C-glucosyl-7-O- glucoside), which possesses antioxidant, hypoglycemic, antimicrobial and hepatoprotective activities [4-5]. Plants have always been a suitable source for the production of pharmaceuticals. However, the quality and quantity of active substances from wild collected and field grown plants is often fluctuating and heterogeneous depending on environmental conditions. Infestation, diseases and the application of pesticides additionally decrease the quality of the plant material. In vitro culture of plants can overcome these problems, since the environmental conditions