EFFECT OF A TERTIARY AMINE ON ALKALOID ACCUMULATION IN CATHARANTHUS-ROSEUS

The Madagascar periwinkle, Catharanthus roseus, produces numerous indo le alkaloids, several of which have important therapeutic activities. These secondary metabolites are among the most expensive drugs because of their low abundance in intact plants. We investigated the biotrans formation of a synthetic product bonylethyl)-N-[2-(1H-indol-3yl)-ethyl ]-beta-methyl alaninate) in the roots and aerial parts of C. roseus cu ltivated in vitro, in order to stimulate de novo the biosynthesis of b iologically active indole alkaloids. The results showed a large increa se (90%) of ajmalicine in the roots whilst serpentine and yohimbine le vels were unchanged. In the aerial parts, the synthetic product was re covered and the time courses of various alkaloids were unchanged. No n ew molecule was observed. The four alkaloids tested increased with pla nt age whilst yohimbine gradually deceased. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.