Mehdi Ghorbani - Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, University of Tehran, Iran
Mansoor Omidi - Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, University of Tehran, Iran
Seyed Ali Peighambari - Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, University of Tehran, Iran
Karamatollah Rezaei - Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Tehran, Iran

The roots of Rubia tinctorum L., the common madder contain natural red dye known as alizarin. In the current study, central composite design of response surface methodology was employed for modeling of fungal elicitor treatment on natural alizarin production in uniform hairy root cultures of common madder in liquid ۱/۲ B۵ medium. Upon fungal elicitation assay, using two fungal mycelia elicitors (Aspergillus niger and Bipolaris maydis) at three different times (۰, ۱۲ and ۲۴h), the production of alizarin was determined. According to the results, after ۲۴h; modeling and optimization conditions, including combination of ۲ % of both elicitors for alizarin production equal to ۱۰.۰ mg.g-۱ DW was evaluated. Optimal process parameters have been determined by using a high desirability value of ۱.۰۰ in Design-Expert® software. Our results, altogether, offer a promising method regarding to the improvement of the alizarin production, as a pivotal natural dye in industrial applications.The roots of Rubia tinctorum L., the common madder contain natural red dye known as alizarin. In the current study, central composite design of response surface methodology was employed for modeling of fungal elicitor treatment on natural alizarin production in uniform hairy root cultures of common madder in liquid ۱/۲ B۵ medium. Upon fungal elicitation assay, using two fungal mycelia elicitors (Aspergillus niger and Bipolaris maydis) at three different times (۰, ۱۲ and ۲۴h), the production of alizarin was determined. According to the results, after ۲۴h; modeling and optimization conditions, including combination of ۲ % of both elicitors for alizarin production equal to ۱۰.۰ mg.g-۱ DW was evaluated. Optimal process parameters have been determined by using a high desirability value of ۱.۰۰ in Design-Expert® software. Our results, altogether, offer a promising method regarding to the improvement of the alizarin production, as a pivotal natural dye in industrial applications.

Agrobacterium rhizogenes, Alizarin, Hairy roots, Madder, Rubia tinctorum L., Fungal elicitor