Biological Systems: Theory and Innovation

Production of transgenic root cultures of Artemisia annua L. and Artemisia vulgaris L., determination of biologically active compounds (artemisinin, flavonoids and sugars), and evaluation of biological activity (antioxidant and antiviral) in the obtained

Oleksandr Polishchuk , Yuliia Kolomyets
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Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of the genetic transformation of Artemisia annua and Artemisia vulgaris roots using the bacterium Agrobacterium rhizogenes and to assess the impact of this process on the content and biological activity of selected compounds. The experiment, conducted under in vitro conditions, involved infection of young explants with A. rhizogenes strains ATCC 15834 and A4, followed by cultivation of transgenic roots in Murashige and Skoog liquid medium. Flavonoid concentration was determined spectrophotometrically using the aluminium chloride method, while antioxidant activity was assessed through DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays. Transformation efficiency reached 78.3% ± 4.2% for Artemisia annua and 65.0% ± 5.1% for Artemisia vulgaris, likely due to differences in the cell wall structure and the expression of receptors such as FLS2 and EFR. The artemisinin content in transgenic Artemisia annua roots reached 1.45 ± 0.15 mg per gram of dry weight, 3.2 times higher than that of the control group (0.45 ± 0.05 mg/g), whereas, in Artemisia vulgaris, the content was only 0.28 ± 0.03 mg/g. The flavonoid concentration amounted to 25.6 ± 2.1 mg quercetin equivalents per gram for Artemisia annua and 18.9 ± 1.7 mg quercetin equivalents per gram for Artemisia vulgaris. Antioxidant activity analysis showed that the half-maximal inhibitory concentration for Artemisia annua was 32.5 ± 2.8 µg/mL in the DPPH assay, which was 45% lower than the control. Extracts of Artemisia annua exhibited antiviral activity, inhibiting the replication of the influenza A/H1N1 virus by 68% ± 5%, whereas Artemisia vulgaris showed an inhibition rate of 55% ± 4%. Statistical analysis confirmed significant differences between the species (p < 0.05). The results provide a foundation for the development of more effective preparations based on transgenic roots of Artemisia annua, particularly antimalarial agents with enhanced artemisinin content, as well as antioxidant and antiviral agents for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases

Keywords

genetic transformation; Agrobacterium rhizogenes; antimalarial agent; pharmaceutical preparations; anti-inflammatory properties

Suggested citation
Polishchuk , O., & Kolomyets, Yu. (2025). Production of transgenic root cultures of Artemisia annua L. and Artemisia vulgaris L., determination of biologically active compounds (artemisinin, flavonoids and sugars), and evaluation of biological activity (antioxidant and antiviral) in the obtained . Biological Systems: Theory and Innovation, 16(1), 33-45. https://doi.org/10.31548/biologiya/1.2025.33
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