Effects of elicitors on tropane alkaloid production and release in transformed root cultures of Brugmansia candida

Scopolamine and hyoscyamine are tropane alkaloids employed in medicine as a ntispasmodics and for the treatment of motion sickness. Both compounds are extracted from plants that belong to several species of Solanaceae because their chemical synthesis is complicated and expensive. Obtaining these comp ounds through in vitro cultures is a promising alternative. In this researc h, transformed (hairy) roots of Brugmansia candida have been used. Differen t clones were obtained through infection with the soil pathogen Agrobacteri um rhizogenes, and transformation was confirmed by PCR. Almost all the clon es dedifferentiated, and in some cases this could be reverted using antiaux ins or modifying the culture media. In order to increase alkaloid productiv ity, hairy roots with normal morphology were treated with a biotic elicitor (hemicellulase) and a stress agent (CuSO4). Hemicellulase had a positive e ffect on production of both alkaloids (100-200%). When CuSO4 was used, ther e was a dramatic increase in the release of both alkaloids (500%) into the medium.