Effect of growth medium composition on psilostachyinolides and altamisine production

Callus cultures of Ambrosia tenuifolia were established from sub-apical lea ves. The explants were grown on basal media MS (Murashige and Skoog) supple mented with 10 mu M kinetin, 1 mu M 2-4 dichlorophenoxyacetic, ascorbic aci d and cysteine and cultivated either in light or darkness. To determine the effect of each individual salt component on the growing rate of the callus and the psilostachyinolides and altamisine production in the culture, the concentrations of each nutrient was tested at different levels, ranging fro m 50% above to 50% below the standard medium. Interestingly, increased conc entration of boron in the medium, resulted in a four fold increase in the p roduction of sesquiterpene lactones by the callus. However, positive produc tion of psilostachynolides and altamisine was only detected when the basal concentrations of the others components of the basal media were used. In ad dition, production of altamisine was highly sensitive to the variations of nutrients. No statiscally effect on terpenoide production by the callus was detected by varying light exposure. These results indicates that condition s for the optimal production of these terpenoids can be enhanced by modifyi ng nutrients of the MS basal media.