Effect of elicitors on the enhancement of podophyllotoxin biosynthesis in suspension cultures of linum album

ABSTRACT

The possibility of enhancment accumulation of podophyllotoxin [PTOX] has been studied in cultures of cell suspension of Linum album Kotschy ex Boiss. [Linaceae] producing PTOX was studied. Attempts were made to manipulate the biosynthetic pathway of PTOX by some biotic [yeast extract] and abiotic [Ag[+], Pb[2+] and Cd[2+]] elicitors for 24 or 48 hr in Murashige and Skoog [MS] medium. Silver significantly enhanced PTOX production up to 0.24% [mg/g cell dry wt.] in cultures. This effect could be attributed to the inhibitory role of silver on production of ethylene