Xanthone biosynthesis and accumulation in calli and suspended cells of Hypercium androsaemum

Calli and suspended cells of Hypericum androsaemum accumulated high levels of 1,3,5,6 and 1,3,6,7 oxygenated xanthones. The major compounds include simple oxygenated xanthones or derivatives with prenyl, pyran or methoxyl groups, four of them being new natural compounds. A hypothetical biosynthetic scheme is proposed based on the isolated compounds and statistical analysis. Xanthone accumulation was influenced greatly by medium factors, namely hormone supplementation. Calli grown with 4.5 mu M alpha-naphtaleneacetic acid (NAA) + 2.3 mu M kinetin (KIN) had the highest specific xanthone production (1.3% biomass dry weight (DW)), whereas suspended cells grown in similar medium accumulated a lower amount (0.87% DW). Calli displayed a negative linear relationship between total xanthone accumulation and NAA concentration, in the range of 4.5-22.5 mu M. However, in this range the xanthone 1,3,6,7/1,3,5,6 ratio and the biomass production showed a positive linear relationship with NAA concentration. Substitution of 4.5 mu M of NAA by the same molar amount of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), in the presence of 2.3 mu M of KIN, caused a decrease in xanthone accumulation in calli. The use of N(6)-benzyladenine (BA) instead of KIN reduced xanthone production, independently of the auxin used. This effect was attenuated when both hormones were present. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.