Diosgenin is the most important steroidal saponin in fenugreek, with multiple medicinal properties. Increasing the production of diosgenin in fenugreek requires stimulating the production of saponins. The production of saponins or secondary metabolites is affected by biological and non-biological elicitors. The main aims of this study were investigate whether cobalt nanoparticles as an abiotic elicitor in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium affect produced diosgenin in roots and shoots of fenugreek, and comparison of produced diosgenin between the shoots and roots. Experimental treatments were different concentrations of cobalt nanoparticles (0, 100, 200 and 300 μM l⁻¹) in the MS medium in vitro, and the treatments’ effects were examined in a statistical model of a completely randomized design with four replications. Experimental variables included some components of fenugreek vegetative growth, production of diosgenin in shoots and roots, as well as expression of genes involved in diosgenin biosynthesis pathway (Squalene monooxygenase (SQS), Cycloartenol shynthase (CYC), 26_o_beta_glucosidase (BGL). The most important results showed that first the maximum level of produced diosgenin in roots, and later in shoots was obtained in a MS medium without micro cobalt which contain only 300 μM l⁻¹ of cobalt nanoparticles. The results demonstrated that the enhancement of diosgenin was associated with increased expression of the genes related with diosgenin biosynthesis pathway. The diosgenin was elevated in fenugreek following high concentration of cobalt nanoparticles application.

薯os皂素是胡芦巴中最重要的甾体皂苷，具有多种药用特性。增加胡芦巴中薯os皂甙元的产量需要刺激皂素的产生。皂苷或次生代谢产物的产生受到生物和非生物引发剂的影响。这项研究的主要目的是研究钴纳米颗粒作为Murashige和Skoog（MS）培养基中的一种非生物激发剂是否会影响胡芦巴的根和茎中产生的薯os皂甙元，以及茎和根之间产生的薯os皂甙元的比较。实验处理是不同浓度的钴纳米颗粒（0、100、200和 300μM l ^-1）在MS培养基中进行体外试验，并在完全随机设计的统计模型中对治疗效果进行了检查，并进行了四次重复实验。实验变量包括胡芦巴营养生长，茎和根中薯os皂甙元的生成以及薯di皂甙元生物合成途径中涉及的基因表达（角鲨烯单加氧酶（SQS），环戊烯醇合酶（CYC），26_o_β_葡萄糖苷酶（BGL））。结果表明，第一根薯蓣皂苷元产生的最大电平，之后又在枝条在没有微钴仅含有300 MS培养基获得 μ M L ^-1钴纳米颗粒。结果表明薯di皂苷元的增强与薯di皂苷元生物合成途径相关基因的表达增加有关。高浓度钴纳米粒子的使用后胡芦巴中薯os皂素的含量增加。