Improvement of atropine production by different biotic and abiotic elicitors in hairy root cultures of Datura metel

Hairy roots induced by Agrobacterium rhizogenes are distinguished by their high growth rate, genetic stability, and lateral branching. Datura metel is an important medicinal plant whose hairy roots are used for the production of atropine, a tropane alkaloid applied as an anticholinergic and parasympathetic agent. To increase the yield of atropine, biotic (Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus) and abiotic (AgNO₃ and nanosilver) elicitors were added to the hairy root cultures of D. metel and then analyzed through highperformance liquid chromatography. All the elicitors influenced biomass accumulation and atropine production. Among the tested elicitors, nanosilver was most effective in enhancing the hairy roots’ atropine content. To the authors’ knowledge, the application of nanosilver for increasing tropane alkaloid production is reported for the first time here and could improve the atropine production of pharmaceutical industries.