The use of plant cell cultures for the production of podophyllotoxin and related lignans

Podophyllotoxin isolated from rhizomes of Podophyllum plants (Podophyllacea e) serves as precursor for the semi-synthesis of anticancer therapeutics. T he plants are collected from the wild and are becoming threatened species d ue to overcollection. Suspension cultures of Linum album (Linaceae) accumul ate podophyllotoxin as well and could therefore serve as an alternative sou rce for this important aryltetralin lactone lignan. The culture characteris tics of suspension cultures of Linum album are reported in the paper. The f ast growth of the cell culture and a podophyllotoxin accumulation of about 0.2% of the cell dry weight would enable a podophyllotoxin production of ca . 28 mg in 11 days in one liter of suspension culture.