title: Regeneration of Psychotria umbellata and production of the analgesic indole alkaloid umbellatine.
abstract: Psychotria umbellata Vell. (Rubiaceae), a Brazilian coastal woody species, produces umbellatine (also known as psychollatine), an analgesic indole alkaloid. An in vitro embryogenic regeneration protocol capable of yielding alkaloid-accumulating plants was developed. Rhizogenic calli, which were obtained from stem segments derived from rooted apical cuttings, were cultured on Murashige and Skoog's (MS) medium containing either 1 mg l(-1) NAA (naphthalene acetic acid) and no kinetin, or 5 mg l(-1) NAA + 1 mg l(-1) kinetin. Calli did not accumulate umbellatine. Segments of rhizogenic callus were cultured on complete MS medium with various concentrations of kinetin and sucrose. Plant regeneration was best in the light with 0.25 mg l(-1) of kinetin and 1.5% sucrose. After 3 months of acclimatization in soil mixture, plant survival was 81%. Leaves of 10-month-old regenerated plants yielded umbellatine concentrations equivalent to those of adult forest-grown plants.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Fisiologia Vegetal (Programa de Pós-Graduação em Botânica), Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre-RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Juçara T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Paranhos
authors.forename: Variluska
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fragoso
authors.forename: Amélie T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Henriques
authors.forename: Alfredo G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Arthur G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Fett-Neto
mesh_terms: D001599:Berberine / Q000378:metabolism*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000378:metabolism; D032069:Psychotria / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D012038:Regeneration; D014197:Trees / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001599:Berberine