Abstract
Root cultures (RC) of
Linum alpinum
and
L. austriacum
(Linaceae) were investigated for enhanced arylnaphthalene-type lignan production through precursor feeding with coniferyl alcohol (CA). Monitoring the accumulation of justicidin B (JB), as a target metabolite, over a 30-day cultivation period revealed different accumulation profiles in the two species. Both RC were treated with 10, 50, or 100 µM CA on day 25 of cultivation and harvested 5 days later. CA supplementation exerted only a limited effect on JB accumulation in
L. alpinum
, with the highest level recorded at 100 µM. In contrast,
L. austriacum
responded more markedly, with 50 µM CA yielding the maximum JB content (1.49 µg/mg DW), representing an approximately twofold increase compared with untreated controls. Further treatment at later cultivation stages confirmed a cultivation-stage-dependent response in
L. austriacum
and supported 50 µM CA as the most effective precursor-feeding condition. The phytochemical potential, production capacity, and precursor biotransformation capacity of
in vitro
plant systems are largely governed by the genetic background of the donor species. In addition,
in vitro
cultures of two related species frequently display marked differences in their metabolic and biosynthetic profiles.