Narcissus and Daffodil

Production of galanthamine in vitro 225
Accumulation of alkaloids in tissue
Unlike BA, kinetin, especially at high concentrations, inhibited alkaloid production
in the shoot tissues (Figure 7.8), as has also been described for cultures of Scopolia
maxima (Mantell and Smith, 1983). Thus, the maximum levels of alkaloids
were found in the control shoot-clumps, with the exception of tazettine, whose
maximum level was found in the shoot-clumps treated with 3 mg/l of kinetin. This
growth regulator seems to have more effect on the release of alkaloids to the
medium than on their accumulation in the tissues.
Total production of alkaloids during the experiment
The total content of alkaloids (those accumulated in tissue and those released into
the medium) produced by the shoot-clumps treated with different concentrations
of kinetin during the two-month experiment is shown in Table 7.3. Kinetin
affected the alkaloid production in a negative way, so the highest levels of these
compounds, especially of haemanthamine and galanthamine, were found in the
control shoots.
mg/g DW
mg/g DW
0.35
0.30
0.25
0.20
0.15
0.10
0.05
0.00
0.40
0.35
0.30
0.25
0.20
0.15
0.10
0.05
0.00
N-formylnorgalanthamine
0 1 3
Kin (mg/l)
5 10
Haemanthamine
0 1 3
Kin (mg/l)
5 10
ts
cm
ts
cm
mg/g DW
mg/g DW
0.50
0.40
0.30
0.20
0.10
0.00
0.35
0.30
0.25
0.20
0.15
0.10
0.05
0.00
Galanthamine
0 1 3
Kin (mg/l)
5 10
Tazettine
0 1 3
Kin (mg/l)
5 10
Figure 7.8 Accumulation of alkaloids in both tissue (shoot-clumps) and liquid medium at
the end of the experiment with kinetin (Kin) (bars represent the SD calculated
from three replicates). ts, alkaloids detected in the tissue; cm, alkaloids released
to the culture medium.
ts
cm
ts
cm