Alkaloids and Lipids of Heterotrophic, Photomixotrophic and Photoautotrophic Cell Suspension Cultures of Peganum harmala1

Abstract

Heterotrophic, photomixotrophic and photoautotrophic cell suspension cultures of Peganum harmala were analysed for harman alkaloids which could only be found in heterotrophic cultures. When photoautotrophic cell cultures were reverted to heterotrophic cultures, harman alkaloids and serotonin were again found and accumulated in the cultures. The alkaloid pattern obtained depended on the phytohormones applied. The lipids in photoautotrophic cell cultures were found to contain high proportions of monogalactosyldiacylglycerols and digalactosyldiacylglycerols. These lipids of photoautotrophic cultures contained higher proportions of constituent linolenic acid, but lower concentrations of linoleic acid than those of heterotrophic cultures. The fatty acid patterns of individual lipid classes and the sterol fractions of the 3 types of cell cultures were compared and significant differences are discussed.