ECDYSTEROID BIOSYNTHESIS IN INTACT PLANTS AND CELL-CULTURES OF PHAPONTICUM-CARTHAMOIDES WILLD (ILJIN) [LEUZEA-CARTHAMOIDES WILLD]

Callus and suspension cultures were obtained from Rhaponticum carthamo ides Willd. (Iljin) plants. Ecdysteroids extracted from the cells of t hese cultures were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography and by mass-spectrometry and compared with the ecdysteroids of initial plants. In the intact plants of Rhaponticum carthamoides, two ecdyste roids were found, one of them being identified as 20-hydroxyecdyson (e cdysteron). The highest content of ecdysteron was registered in young, physiologicaly active organs, such as early growing shoots and flower buds. In the callus cultures, ecdysteroids were found only in minute amounts. The suspension cultures contained a substance, which was iden tified as belonging to the class of ecdysteroids. The highest content of this substance fell within the exponential growth phase. Thus, the results obtained in the experiments with both intact plants and suspen sion cultures allowed us to conclude that the functionally active cell s exhibited the highest level of ecdysteroids.