Production and elicitation of benzalacetone and the raspberry ketone in cell suspension cultures of Rubus idaeus

Production levels of p-coumaric acid (p-CA), p-hydroxyphenylbut-3-ene-2-one (benzalacetone), and p-hydroxyphenyl-2-butanone (raspberry ketone) were me asured in raspberry cell suspension cultures to investigate metabolite dyna mics in a short (two-step) pathway. Intracellular concentrations of benzala cetone and the raspberry ketone fluctuated during the time course of a norm al batch culture cycle but showed higher levels during periods of rapid gro wth. Cells elicited with the signal coupler methyl jasmonate yielded a 2- t o S-fold increase in metabolite concentrations after 24 h. The results sugg est that raspberry ketone production is rapidly inducible during periods of high carbohydrate utilization. It is not an end product, however, and unde rgoes conversion to subsequent metabolites.