Stress-Induced Secondary Metabolite Profiling in Cistanche deserticola Callus Cultures: Insights from GC-MS and HPLC-MS Analysis

Abstract

Throughout human history, wild plant resources have played an invaluable role, serving as critical sources of food, medicine, and industrial materials. This study examined the callus cultures of Cistanche deserticola Y.C. Ma, a medicinal desert plant, by subjecting them to abiotic stress under controlled in vitro conditions. The secondary metabolite profiles were then analyzed using GC-MS and qTOF-UHPLC-MS. The GC-MS analysis revealed several bioactive compounds of pharmaceutical interest, such as γ-sitosterol and homovanillyl alcohol. PhGs, including echinacoside and salidroside, were quantified for the first time across 16 callus samples exposed to various stress treatments. The application of 0.1% Na2CO3 for 50 days resulted in the highest accumulation of echinacoside (13,378.9 µg/mL), and heavy metal stress notably increased salidroside levels to 27.0 µg/mL. There was a clear correlation between callus pigmentation and metabolic activity: orange and white calli produced significantly more PhGs than dark calli. These results suggest that C. deserticola callus cultures could be a sustainable, controllable platform for producing high-value secondary metabolites. This reinforces the importance of wild plant resources in modern science and industry.