PRODUCTION OF TANNIC-ACID BY RHUS-JAVANICA CELL-CULTURES

Cell cultures of Rhus javanica producing large amounts of tannic acid, which is a mixture of tetra- to decagalloylglucoses, were established . The calli cultured on Linsmaier-Skoog gellan gum medium containing 1 0(-5) M 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 10(-5) M benzyladenine show ed high gallotannin production as well as a high growth rate. The main component in a mixture of polygalloylglucoses detected in cultured ce lls was heptagalloylglucose, while octagalloylglucose was the represen tative compound in intact plants. The parent compound was confirmed by isolating pentagalloylglucose produced upon methanolysis of the depsi de linkage of polygalloylglucoses in an ethyl acetate fraction of the callus extract. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.