Round leaved sundew (Drosera rotundifolia L.) belongs to an insectivorous plant family Droseraceae. The Drosera species contain naphthoquinones that are utilized for medicinal purposes, and especially in treatment of respiratory diseases. Naphthoquinones, like plumbagin, have also antibacterial properties.
The ability to synthetize naphthoquinones in plants from different origins has been studied at the Botanical Gardens of Oulu University. The affect of growth factors, e.g. light and nutrients on production of naphthoquinones has also been evaluated. The sundew plants used in these studies have been from in vivo (on peat) and in vitro cultures. The best naphthoquinone producers and growth conditions are being determined in this study.
Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer method has been developed for Drosera rotundifolia. On the basis of these studies, transfer of some marker genes is possible. The next step is to clone genes participating in the naphthoquinone synthesis of Drosera rotundifolia. The goal of this study is to maximize the synthesis of naphthoquinones by gene transfer in the sundew.