THE QUINOLINE ALKALOIDS CAMPTOTHECIN AND 9-METHOXYCAMPTOTHECIN FROM TISSUE-CULTURES AND MATURE TREES OF NOTHAPODYTES FOETIDA

Tissue cultures of the indigenous tree Nothapodytes foetida were estab lished from immature embryos on Murashige and Skoog's agar medium supp lemented with different auxins and cytokinins. The embryos developed u norganized callus tissues in medium containing BA + 2,4-D. BA + NAA me dium promoted multiple shoot development. Kn + NAA. and Kn + IAA in th e medium favoured plantlet formation. The cultures showed the presence pf both camptothecin and 9-methoxycamptothecin, the major alkaloids o f the parent plant. In the mature tree, the alkaloids were found in th e shoots (camptothecin 0.075% dry weight, 9-methoxycamptothecin 0.013% dry weight) and in the seeds (camptothecin 0.050% dry weight and 9-me thoxycamptothecin 0.060% dry weight). The differentiated plantlet cult ures showed slightly higher amounts of 9-methoxycamptothecin (0.0007% dry weight) than the undifferentiated callus cultures (0.0001% dry wei ght).