Caracterização do metabolismo de culturas de células em suspensão de <i>Rauvolfia sellowii</i> Mull. Arg.

Abstract

This work aimed to characterize the growth parameters of a Rauvolfia sellowii Müll. Arg. {Apocynaceae) cell suspension culture. The parameters analyzed were pH variation, biomass accumulation (fresh weight and dry weight), production of alkaloids and sugars uptake. The growth curve was similar to that observed for other plant cells, the culture cycle lasted for 14 days. R. sellowii cultures did not converted sucrose into glucose and fructose in the culture medium. Sucrose was directly taken up from the medium. The complete uptake occurred at day 22. There were no significant changes in the medium pH during the cell development. The major alkaloid accumulated in the cultures was characterized as the vomilenine. The regulation of vomilenine production was also evaluated by changing the culture conditions: depletion of auxins, increase of sucrose and myo-inositol concentration, addition elicitor (yeast extract) and precursor feeding (tryptophan and tryptamine). ln ali the conditions tested, vomilenine production was suppressed. Moreover, with the exception of precursor feeding, ali treatments caused the accumulation of unknown substances, possibly alkaloids.