ABSTRACT
Cell suspension cultures of Phyllanthus niruri were used to study the lignan profiles and biosynthesis. Suspension cultures yielded two lignans: the new cubebin dimethyl ether (1) and urinatetralin (2), a new lignan from P. niruri, but reported earlier from P. urinaria. This is the first report of cell suspension cultures of P. niruri that successfully produce lignans. Feeding 0.5 mM ferulic acid or 0.5 mM caffeic acid, being early precursors of lignan biosynthesis, resulted in an increase up to 0.7 mg g(-1) DW of 1 (control value 0.1 mg g(-1) DW) and up to 0.3 mg g(-1) DW of 2 (control value 0.2 mg g(-1) DW). Comparison of the lignan profiles of cell suspensions, callus cultures, aerial plant parts, roots, and seeds showed significant differences.
Subject(s)
Lignans , Phyllanthus , Plants, Medicinal , Caffeic Acids/pharmacology , Coumaric Acids/pharmacology , Lignans/biosynthesis , Lignans/chemistry , Lignans/isolation & purification , Molecular Structure , Phyllanthus/chemistry , Phyllanthus/drug effects , Phyllanthus/growth & development , Phyllanthus/metabolism , Plant Roots/chemistry , Plants, Medicinal/chemistry , Plants, Medicinal/drug effects , Plants, Medicinal/growth & development , Plants, Medicinal/metabolism , Seeds/chemistryABSTRACT
In a previous study we have shown that different populations of Anthriscus sylvestris (L.) Hoffm. (Apiaceae) yield significantly different lignan profiles. In this study we collected the seeds of A. sylvestris from 4 locations, one in England and three in The Netherlands. The seeds germinated and were grown under identical laboratory conditions. After 5 months the plants were harvested and the lignan profile in the roots and aerial parts was analysed using GC-MS. The plants from the seeds of the 4 locations showed several significant phenotypic differences in, for instance, dry-weight. However the 4 groups did not differ significantly in their lignan profile in their roots. The lignans in the roots of A. sylvestris, deoxypodophyllotoxin, yatein and anhydropodorhizol reached, on average, equal amounts in all 4 groups. Within the 4 groups, however, a large quantitative variation in lignan profile between the individual plants was observed, pointing to within-population genetic differences between individual plants.
Subject(s)
Apiaceae/growth & development , Lignans/chemistry , Phytotherapy , Plant Extracts/chemistry , Apiaceae/chemistry , Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry , Humans , Plant Components, Aerial , Plant RootsABSTRACT
In the roots of Anthriscus sylvestris 12 different lignans were detected. Arctigenin, dimethylmatairesinol, dimethylthujaplicatin, podophyllotoxin, 7-hydroxyyatein and 7-hydroxyanhydropodorhizol have not been previously reported to be present in A. sylvestris. In the cell suspension cultures, which were initiated for this study, trace amounts of deoxypodophyllotoxin could be detected. With these cell suspension cultures we carried out feeding experiments using deoxypodophyllotoxin, yatein and, anhydropodorhizol. Yatein had a toxic effect on the cell cultures and was, like anhydropodorhizol, not converted into any detectable product. Deoxypodophyllotoxin, in contrast, was converted into podophyllotoxin, yielding significantly higher concentration than measured in whole plants.
