Phenolic substances in tissue cultures ofCentaurium erythraea

Abstract

Phenolic compounds l,2,3-trihydroxy-5-methoxyxanthone, l-hydroxy-3,5,6,7, 8-pentamethoxyxanthone, and l,8-dihydroxy-2,3,4,6-tetramethoxyxanthone predominate in the callus tissue ofCentaurium erythraea, their content increasing with culture age. By contrast, the contents of the derivatives of cinnamic, chlorogenic, and ferulic acids decrease or do not change. In the cell suspension culture ofC. erythraea a larger amount of xanthones is synthesized than in the callus from which the suspension culture was derived. The content of phenolic acids is lower in the suspension culture than in the callus, but a larger number of low-molecular-mass phenolic substances occurs in the suspension culture than in the callus tissue.