Flavonol glycosides production in cell suspension cultures of Vancouveria hexandra

Abstract

Cell suspension cultures of Vancouveria hexandra produced a large amount of des- O-methylanhydroicaritin glycosides (epimedosides A, E, hexandraside E, ikarisoside C and an unidentified triglycoside) in addition to a small amount of anhydroicaritin glycosides (epimedin B, hexandraside A, icariin, anhydroicaritin-3- O-fucosylrhamnoside 7- O-glucoside and anhydroicaritin-3- O-glucoside 7- O-glucoside). These cells also produced large amounts of kaempferol glycosides (kaempferol-3- O-glucosylrhamnoside 7- O-rhamnoside, kaempferitrin and afzelin) which do not occur in the original plant. The production of flavonol glycosides was influenced by nutrients such as sucrose, nitrogen and phosphate. Higher phosphate increased contents of 8-isoprenylated flavonol glycosides, but had practically no effect on that of kaempferol glycosides. This cell culture required 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid for the production of flavonol glycosides. At 100 μM 2,4-D, anhydroicaritin glycoside content increased up to 4.5 mg 20 ml −1 medium (1.8% dry wt), while the concentrations of the other flavonol glycosides were not affected.