CELL-SUSPENSION CULTURE OF SOLANUM-CHRYSOTRICHUM (SCHLDL.) - A PLANT PRODUCING AN ANTIFUNGAL SPIROSTANOL SAPONIN

The production of an antifungal spirostanol saponin designated SC-1 ha s been detected in cell suspension cultures of the Mexican species Sol anum chrysotrichum. Batch cultures of a cell suspension obtained from hypocotyl derived calluses of this species were grown for 25 days in s hake flasks containing Murashige & Skoog (MS) medium. Throughout the g rowth cycle, fresh and dry weight, SC-1 yield, and uptake of sucrose, glucose and fructose were determined. The effects of inoculum size and sucrose concentration on the biomass accumulation and synthesis of th e active metabolite, were studied. The maximum SC-1 production, above 14 mg.g(-1) (which was fifty times that of field grown plants), was re ached after 20 days using a 2% inoculum and complete MS medium supplem ented with 2 mg l(-1) 2,4-D, 2 mg l(-1) kinetin, and sucrose between 3 0 and 45 gl(-1).