Alkaloid synthesis and accumulation in Leucojum aestivum in vitro cultures.
The alkaloids of intact plants, calli and shoot-clump cultures of L. aestivum were analyzed by GC-MS. Twenty-four alkaloids were detected. Calli appeared to produce sparse alkaloid profiles in stark contrast to shoot-clumps that had similar profiles to those of the intact plant. Seven shoot-clump strains produced galanthamine predominantly whereas another three were dominated by lycorine. Shoot-clump strains cultivated under light accumulated about two-times more galanthamine (an average of 74 microg/g of dry weight) than those cultivated in darkness (an average of 39 microg/g of dry weight). In comparison to intact plants, the shoot-clumps accumulated 5-times less galanthamine. The high variability of both the galanthamine content (67% and 75% of coefficient of variation under light and darkness conditions, respectively) and alkaloid patterns indicates that the shoot-clump cultures initiated from callus could be used as a tool for improvement of the in vitro cultures.
Departamento de Productos Naturales, Biologia Vegetal y Edafologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona. Av. Joan XXIII s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. berkov_str@yahoo.com
Strahil
S
Berkov
Atanas
A
Pavlov
Vasil
V
Georgiev
Jaume
J
Bastida
Monique
M
Burrus
Mladenka
M
Ilieva
Carles
C
Codina
D000470:Alkaloids / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D047151:Amaryllidaceae Alkaloids / Q000378:metabolism; D046508:Culture Techniques; D005702:Galantamine / Q000378:metabolism; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D019668:Liliaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010617:Phenanthridines / Q000378:metabolism
D000470:Alkaloids; D047151:Amaryllidaceae Alkaloids; D010617:Phenanthridines; D005702:Galantamine; C015330:lycorine