Exogenous methyl jasmonate (MeJA) altered phytochemical composition and enhanced the expression of PatAACT gene of in vitro culture-derived patchouli var. Sidikalang (Pogostemon cablin Benth.)

The demand for economically valuable terpenoid-derived compounds, especially those extracted from patchouli plants, is experiencing exponential growth. These compounds are potentially applied in a wide range of industrial sectors including food manufacturing, perfumeries, and pharmaceuticals. Nevertheless, there is a need for further development in patchouli plant cultivation to align with market demands. Therefore, employing robust in vitro-based propagation methods could offer significant advantages. Furthermore, this technique is also used for plant metabolites enhancement. This strategy applies the methyl jasmonate (MeJA) elicitor to boost the production of secondary metabolites. In Indonesia, patchouli var. Sidikalang is extensively cultivated in many areas. This study aims to evaluate the effect of naphtaleneacetic acid (NAA) and 6-benzylamino purine (BAP) to increase plant growth via in vitro culture. Furthermore, we also investigate the effect of MeJA on the metabolite profiles and on the AACT gene expression. Our findings revealed that the combination of 2.5 µM of BAP and 0.25 µM of NAA resulted in optimal growth and high rate of organogenesis across all growth parameters. Our data also successfully identified 50 dominant compounds, each with varying percentage areas. Notably, patchouli alcohol emerged as the primary compound in the tricyclic sesquiterpene group, consistently present in all treatment groups. Furthermore, the expression of the PatAACT gene significantly increased by 7.42-fold after treatment with MeJA at 100 µM and by 2,9-fold after treatment with MeJA at 300 µM, compared to the control. Altogether, our findings might offer new insight in P. cablin propagation and new strategy for patchouli-derived metabolites using exogenous MeJA.