STUDIES IN BIOSYNTHESIS OF SECONDARY CONSTITUENTS IN TISSUE CULTURES OF TYLOPHORA INDICA

Abstract

Four secondary metabolites such as β–amyrin, β–sitosterol, stigmasterol and campesterol have been isolated from the callus tissue raised from stem cuttings as well as from excised root of germinating seedlings of Tylophora indica plant. The tissue lacked the ability to synthesise phenanthroindolizidine alkaloids. The incorporation of phenylalanine, the known precursor of Tylophora alkaloids and of auxins like 2,4–D and IAA into the basal medium neither induced alkaloid synthesis nor varied the composition of steroidal and triterpenoidal constituents.