The accumulation of podophyllotoxin-β-d-glucoside by cell suspension cultures derived from the conifer Callitris drummondii

Abstract

Podophyllotoxin was produced by cell cultures derived from needles of Callitris drummondii. The needles of this conifer contained 1.56% podophyllotoxin on a dry weight basis, 32% being present in the β-glucosidic form. Trace amounts of desoxypodophyllotoxin and matairesinol were also detected. In dark-grown cell cultures, ca. 0.02 % podophyllotoxin was accumulated, 85–90 % in the β-D-glucosidic form. Moreover, traces of the lignans matairesinol, hinokinin and asarinin were detected. Illumination stimulated the endogenous production of podophyllotoxin-β-D-glucoside; contents of up to 0.11 % could be measured.